Hush money trial
No punishment for Trump in hush money trial
US President-elect Donald Trump will not be punished in the trial over a hush money payment to a porn actress. This was announced by the judge in charge, Juan Merchan, on Friday. The case is now formally closed (see video above).
As reported, Trump was found guilty of falsifying business documents in connection with payments to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. The Republican has always denied this. He has now been granted unconditional immunity from prosecution. This closes a case without a prison sentence, fine or suspended sentence.
The case involved a payment of 130,000 US dollars (the equivalent of 124,688.28 euros). The money was intended to prevent Daniels from reporting in public about an alleged affair with Trump, which she said she had with him.
"Did nothing wrong"
The public prosecutor's office had applied for a sentence to be waived. One of the arguments put forward was that this would prevent the politician from being hindered in the performance of his duties. The defense argued that, legally speaking, the proceedings should never have been initiated.
Trump and his lawyer were connected via video on Friday. The proceedings were a terrible experience for him, said the US President-elect. It was about ruining his reputation so that he would lose the election in November. "Obviously that didn't work. I am completely innocent, I have done nothing wrong."
Symbolic punishment
This is the first time that a former or current US president has been convicted of a criminal offense. However, it is more of a symbolic sentence. The actual guilty verdict was handed down by a jury on May 30, 2024. Trump had faced a prison sentence of up to four years.
Trump's second term of office begins on January 20, 2025.
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