Donald Trump was sentenced to imprisonment on Friday for concealing money paid to a porn star.
The court session was unprecedented: Trump became not only the first former president to be found guilty of a crime but also the first president to be sentenced.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Judge Juan Merchan stated that due to the extraordinary presidential guarantees, he issues a verdict of «unconditional release», adding that these protective measures «do not diminish the severity of the crime and in no way justify its commission».
In 2023, Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records for concealing money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels. She claimed a sexual relationship with Trump, which he denied.
The jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts. The sentence does not mandate imprisonment, although such a punishment was one of the options available to Merchan.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass stated that he supports the verdict in light of the upcoming inauguration. However, he noted that Trump is far from remorseful and is making coordinated efforts to attack the prosecutors and judge and retaliate against them. «This defendant has caused significant harm to the public perception of criminal justice», said Steinglass.
«This was a political witch hunt, it was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election», commented Trump, who appeared in the session via video link against the backdrop of American flags. He chose not to comment on the sentence based on the jury's verdict.
Photo: JEENAH MOON/BLOOMBERG NEWS