President-elect Donald Trump will not face jail time or penalties in the hush money case, as he was sentenced to an “unconditional discharge” by Judge Juan Merchan on Friday. This outcome, which was anticipated, means Trump will remain a convicted felon but will not serve any time in prison, nor will he face any fines or probation for his conviction related to the hush money scheme. During the hearing, Trump appeared unaffected as the judge concluded proceedings. He continued to assert his innocence, stating, “The fact is I’m totally innocent. I did nothing wrong. It’s been a political witch hunt, done to damage my reputation.”
Additionally, Trump had previously requested that the U.S. Supreme Court intervene and delay his sentencing, which was scheduled for January 10. His legal team argued that postponing the sentencing was essential to prevent significant harm to the presidency and the functioning of the federal government.
Trump was convicted in May 2023 for falsifying records to conceal payments to his former attorney, Michael Cohen. Cohen had reimbursed a $130,000 hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who had allegedly been involved in an affair with Trump before the 2016 election—a claim Trump denies.
