A supporter of President-elect Donald Trump holds a flag as he appears remotely before a judge for a sentencing hearing at Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in New York City on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
© Julian Leshay Guadalupe / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(New York, NY) – The long-running saga of President-elect Trump’s so-called “hush money” case has come to a close — at least for now. After being sentenced Friday to unconditional discharge, Trump walks away with no jail time, no fine, and no probation — but his conviction for falsified business records remains. That’s a win for people on the political left, as Democrats and their allies have made it a focus to smear Trump as a “convicted felon.”
Trump was convicted over the summer on felony counts related to an alleged payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. Manhattan prosecutors say the payment was made so Daniels would remain silent about a sexual encounter she claims to have engaged in with Trump in 2006. Trump has consistently denied he ever hooked up with Daniels.
The payment that she received was not classified as a “campaign expense” and so prosecutors sought to tie to alleged offense to state-level campaign finance charges. Federal prosecutors had declined to bring any legal action, after investigating the same so-called “hush money” payment. Trump railed against the prosecution overall and said it never should have been brought. He maintained his innocence in court prior to the sentence being handed down.
Trump still pans to appeal the case. And he may have a legal avenue toward it being dismissed — or overturned — as some evidence may have been improperly allowed during trial. That’s based on the so-called “presidential immunity doctrine,” in which the Supreme Court said Trump enjoyed some degree of immunity from prosecution while carrying out his presidential duties. That’s because presidents can face impeachment while in office, which is distinct from criminal court.
