Egypt Daily News – US President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced to unconditional discharge without any punishment for his conviction in the case known as “hush money” on Friday.
The ruling, issued by Judge Juan Merchan, does not impose any prison sentence or other penalties on Trump, but serves as a final ruling convicting him of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump will have the conviction on his record but will remain a free man, facing no jail time, fine or probation. He addressed the court during the sentencing and showed no remorse, describing the case as a “political witch hunt.”
Trump added: “The truth is that I am completely innocent and have done nothing wrong.”
The case relates to Trump’s attempt to buy the silence of pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels about having a sexual relationship with her, a case known in the media as the “hush money” case.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Josh Steinglass said that the district attorney’s office agreed that the sentence would be unconditional discharge without any punishment, however, he mentioned things Trump did after the verdict to undermine the jury’s verdict.
Steinglass said Trump had “expressed no remorse for his criminal conduct” and “encouraged others to reject the jury’s verdict,” he said. “He launched his unprovoked and relentless attacks” on the court, prosecutors and juries, Steinglass added of Trump. He added that it had caused “lasting damage” to public perception of the criminal justice system.
Steinglass noted that the probation officer who interviewed Trump for the probation report wrote that Trump believed he was “above the law.” Trump leaned back in his chair, folded his arms, and shook his head in response to those remarks.
