Donald Trump has been persecuted in the courts for years. Now it all comes down to this.
Because a top judge hands down a ground-breaking ruling in the Trump hush money case.
A Manhattan judge on Friday handed Donald Trump an unprecedented but symbolic outcome: no penalty following his felony conviction for concealing a “hush money” payoff to silence a s-x scandal ahead of the 2016 election. The sentencing makes Trump the first U.S. president-elect ever convicted of a felony to assume office.
Justice Juan Merchan, presiding over the trial that exposed Trump’s payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Pl-yboy model Karen McDougal, sentenced the former president to an “unconditional discharge.”
“Sir, I wish you Godspeed as you assume a second term in office,” Merchan remarked.
Trump, 78, responded on Truth Social, denouncing the case as another politically motivated attack. “Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt,” he wrote. “Today’s event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice.”
With the ruling, Trump avoided jail time, probation, or fines, but the conviction cements his status as the only U.S. president to face felony charges. It also allows him to proceed with an appeal, which he insists is essential to clearing his name from what he calls a politically driven “witch hunt.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who prosecuted the case and has openly embraced the distinction of being the first to bring an American president to trial, attended the sentencing.
Before the hearing, Trump blasted the trial as “an injustice of justice,” adding, “The fact is, I’m totally innocent. I did nothing wrong.” He also criticized the process as an “embarrassment to New York.”
The trial captivated the nation, featuring explicit testimony from Daniels about an alleged 2006 encounter with Trump and damning evidence from Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer. Cohen testified that Trump approved the $130,000 payoff to Daniels to suppress her story ahead of the 2016 election, a time when Trump was under fire from the infamous Access Hollywood tape scandal.
“What do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?” Trump was heard saying in a recorded conversation, allegedly referencing a $150,000 payment to McDougal.
The prosecution presented detailed evidence, including 11 invoices and checks signed by Trump, showing how the Trump Organization disguised the repayments to Cohen as legal fees. Cohen, though admitting his own crimes and lies, claimed he coordinated with Trump to bury the scandals in order to influence the election.
Trump, who declined to testify, maintained his defense by addressing the media daily outside the courtroom, lambasting the trial as a partisan vendetta. He also leveled accusations of bias against the judge and jury, even complaining about the courtroom thermostat being “freezing.”
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass underscored the importance of respecting the jury’s “unanimous and decisive” verdict, while condemning Trump’s “dangerous rhetoric” as an attempt to intimidate officials and undermine the justice system.
“Put simply, this defendant has caused enduring damage to public perception of the justice system and has placed officers of the court in harm’s way,” Steinglass stated.
The case, which began as an investigation into falsified business records, escalated to felony charges by alleging the payoffs constituted an illegal effort to sway voters. The prosecution argued that the payments breached New York election laws, but critics derided the case as a stretch and an example of selective prosecution.
Merchan’s rulings, while insisting on impartiality, faced scrutiny due to his past political donations, including $15 to President Biden’s campaign.
Trump’s legal team attempted to delay sentencing, citing the Supreme Court’s recent “presidential immunity” ruling, which shields presidents from prosecution for “official acts.” However, Bragg’s office argued that hush money payments to a p-rn star are far from official presidential duties.
The hush money trial is one of four criminal cases Trump faces, but it is the first to reach trial. Federal charges over classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election remain in limbo. Meanwhile, a Georgia election interference case stalled after the lead prosecutor was removed due to ethical concerns.
As Trump prepares for his second term, the unresolved legal battles loom over his presidency, but for now, he walks away from this case without further penalties — just a historic felony conviction to his name.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
