President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Will be released without restrictions on Friday after criminal conviction in “Hush Money” case in New York.
Although he will face no punishment under the unconditional release clause, Trump and his attorney promised to appeal his conviction as he prepares to take office in 10 days as the 47th President of the United States . Speaking virtually from his home in Florida, Trump continued to insist during the hearing that he is “completely innocent.”
“This is a political witch hunt,” Trump said on camera. “This was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election and obviously it did not work.”
Given Trump's impending inauguration, prosecutors had also recommended a sentence of unconditional release, but not before criticizing Trump's behavior and the precedent he has set.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said, “Simply put, this defendant has caused lasting harm to the public perception of the criminal justice system and has harmed court officials.”
Listen to the audio of Trump's sentencing
Although cameras were not allowed in the courtroom to provide video of the hearing, the court released the audio after its conclusion, which can be heard in the player above.
What was Trump punished for?
The matter arose from a $130,000 “hush money” payment Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen met with adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Prosecutors claimed the payment was made to keep voters unaware of Daniels' allegations that she had had sexual relations with Trump years earlier, a claim Trump still denies.
Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, a felony in New York, and a jury convicted him on all 34 counts.
What is unconditional salvation?
Unconditional release, the punishment imposed on Trump by Mercen, allows for release without any formal sentencing or the ability to seek sentencing at a later date.
That means no jail time for his sentence, no community service volunteer time and no fines. The maximum sentence, which a first offender was unlikely to receive, was four years in prison and a fine of several thousand dollars for each of the 34 counts.
Merchan wished Trump “Godspeed” for his second term, saying, “This Court has determined that the only valid punishment that allows entry of a verdict of conviction without encroaching on the highest office in the land is Unconditional acquittal.”
The sentence is highly unusual given the legal protections Marchan provides to the office of President of the United States.
Contributed to this report.