Former U.S. President Donald Trump was sentenced to an unconditional discharge on Friday, avoiding prison time and fines after his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records earlier this year. The case revolved around allegations of hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
In May 2024, Trump was found guilty of orchestrating the concealment of payments, which prosecutors argued were meant to silence Daniels about an alleged affair. Despite the serious nature of the charges, New York Judge Juan Merchan issued the lightest sentence possible, citing unprecedented circumstances.
“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” Judge Merchan stated. “The only lawful sentence that permits entry of a judgment of conviction without encroaching on the highest office of the land is an unconditional discharge.”
Trump appeared virtually during the sentencing, dressed in a red-striped tie with two U.S. flags behind him. He described the case as a “terrible experience,” claiming it was politically motivated to harm his reputation.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass called Trump’s actions “a premeditated and continuous deception” and emphasized the jury’s unanimous verdict. Witnesses had testified during the trial that Trump concealed the payments to influence the 2016 election.
