NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced to unconditional discharge Friday, a symbolic end to his New York “hush money” case.
The sentence carries neither jail time nor any other restrictions that might impede his inauguration on Jan. 20.
In May, a jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
What happened in the courtroom
The president-elect appeared virtually for the hearing from his Mar-a-Lago home, side by side with defense attorney Todd Blanche. They were seated with American flags behind them.
Just prior to the proceeding, Trump and Blanche could be seen being jovial, appearing to laugh and joke with one another, CBS News New York’s Alice Gainer reported.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was present in court for the sentencing. The courtroom itself was bitterly cold, due to an apparently broken window in a nearby restroom that was open.
Meanwhile, Trump supporters and anti-Trump demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse in Manhattan.
When proceedings began, prosecutors spoke, saying they too recommended a sentence of unconditional discharge. They said Trump was found guilty, that he falsified 34 separate entries with the intent to defraud to promote his own election, Gainer reported. As they said that, Trump shook his head “no,” crossed his arms, and appeared to take notes.
Prosecutors went on to say that Trump was far from expressing remorse, and engaged in a campaign to undermine the court’s legitimacy. Prosecutors said Trump attacked the rule of law itself, Gainer reported.
Then Blanche spoke, calling Friday a sad day, saying they intend to pursue an appeal, and that Trump and his family were very upset about the entire thing.
Trump then addressed the court, repeating much of what he said to cameras during the trial.
“It’s been a political witch hunt,” Trump said. “It was done to damage my reputation so that I’d lose the election, and obviously, that didn’t work.”
Trump also spoke about the gag order he was under, said he was treated very unfairly, and called the case an embarrassment to New York, Gainer reported.
“The fact is, I’m totally innocent,” he added. “I did nothing wrong.”
Before imposing the sentence, Judge Juan Merchan had the last word.
“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” he said. “The protections afforded the office of the president are not a mitigating factor, they do not reduce the seriousness of the crime… The only lawful sentence that permits entry of a judgement of conviction without encroaching on highest office in land is an unconditional discharge.”
The judge also wished Trump godspeed as he begins his second term.
Trump’s attorneys are appealing the verdict.
Gainer covered the trial from the start and breaks down the timeline of what led up to sentencing.
From the National Enquirer to “Access Hollywood”
In June 2015, Trump announced his candidacy for president.
In August 2015, his then-personal attorney Michael Cohen and American Media Inc. CEO David Pecker, the publisher of the National Enquirer, met at Trump Tower. Prosecutors say they formed a conspiracy to bury negative information about Trump in order to help get him elected.
Pecker testified about two “catch and kill” deals, where he bought and then did not publish accusations against Trump — one, with Playboy model Karen McDougal, who said she had an affair with Trump.
In August 2016, Pecker paid McDougal $150,000, structuring the agreement to get around campaign finance law, telling the jury, “We didn’t want the story to embarrass Mr. Trump or embarrass or hurt the campaign.”
In September 2016, Cohen secretly recorded a conversation with Trump, allegedly about paying him back. “We’ll have to pay him something,” Trump was heard saying. Pecker testified he ultimately did not need to be paid back.
On Oct. 7, 2016, the “Access Hollywood” tape, where Trump is caught on a hot microphone talking about groping women, was released. Former Trump aide Hope Hicks testified it was a “damaging development” for the campaign.
“Hush-money” payments for Playboy model, adult film star
On Oct. 27, 2016, days before the election, Cohen paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump. Cohen testified that before paying her, Trump was polling very poorly with women and if Daniels’ story got out, Trump thought “women will hate me.”
In February 2017, Cohen says he met Trump at the White House and talked about reimbursement. Cohen said he submitted false invoices for legal services, and Trump signed off on monthly checks of $35,000.
The defense countered Cohen was his attorney and did work for Trump and his family in 2017. But Cohen maintained he did less than 10 hours of work that year for them and never billed them.
Trump faced 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, and the jury found him guilty on all counts.
Question of presidential immunity
Sentencing was set for July 11, but was postponed at the defense’s request after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on presidential immunity. It was again postponed to September, and then again to after the election.
It was pushed back again after Trump won, so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on how to proceed. Trump’s attorneys filed to dismiss, saying it was unconstitutional to hold criminal proceedings related to a president-elect.
Judge Merchan denied the motion, writing, the “defendant in his motion refers to presidential immunity as one relating specifically to a sitting president no fewer than 33 times.”
His attorneys tried multiple times to request a stay of the sentencing while they appeal, taking it all the way to the Supreme Court. All requests were denied.
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