Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in May of this year, and has now been sentenced
15:15, 10 Jan 2025Updated 15:19, 10 Jan 2025
He appeared via video link(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Incoming United States President Donald Trump has been let off by the judge as he declined to give him any punishment. The sentencing took place after Justice Juan Merchan denied Trump’s motion to dismiss the case.
He was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in May of this year. It had been argued by lawyers that the case needed to be put to bed before Trump is required to govern after he takes his oath on January 20 – which it now has been.
They also argued that, due to a Supreme Court ruling in July that said a President has immunity while carrying out an official order while in office, the case should be thrown out, which also fell on deaf ears.
He called it a ‘very sad day'(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Judge Merchan said the evidence supplied was related “entirely to unofficial conduct” and thereforwas not an official act as president.
Merchan wrote: “This Court concludes that if error occurred regarding the introduction of the challenged evidence, such error was harmless in light of the overwhelming evidence of guilt.
“Even if this Court did find that the disputed evidence constitutes official acts under the auspices of the Trump decision, which it does not, Defendant’s motion is still denied as introduction of the disputed evidence constitutes harmless error and no mode of proceedings error has taken place.”
The words did not go down well with Trump, who called it a “completely illegal, psychotic order” by a “corrupt and biased” judge on his social media platform Truth Social.
However, he was found guilty and has now been sentenced.
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