US President-elect Donald Trump will not receive any punishment in the trial for paying hush money to a porn actress. The responsible judge Juan Merchan announced this on Friday. The case is now formally closed (see video above).
As reported, Trump was convicted of falsifying company records related to payments to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. The Republican has always been united by this. Unconditional impunity has now been imposed. This concludes a case without jail time, fines or probation.
This involved a payment of 130,000 dollars (the equivalent of 124,688.28 euros). The money was intended to keep Daniels from publicly reporting an alleged affair she said she had with Trump.
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
The Public Prosecution Service had requested remission of the sentence. One of the arguments put forward was that this would prevent the politician from being hindered in the performance of his office. The defense argues that from a legal perspective the procedure should never have been started.
Trump and his lawyer participated in the event via video on Friday. The procedure was a terrible experience for him, the US president-elect said. The point was to ruin his reputation so he would lose the November election. “That obviously didn’t work. I am completely innocent, I have done nothing wrong.”
Symbolic punishment
It is the first time that a former or current American president has been convicted as a criminal. However, it is more of a symbolic punishment. The actual guilty verdict was reached by a jury on May 30, 2024. Trump had threatened a prison sentence of up to four years.
Trump’s second term will begin on January 20, 2025.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
