NEW YORK, January 10. /TASS/. The decision in the case of the Trump Organization’s falsified business records aimed at covering up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels marks the end of a witch hunt, US President-elect Donald Trump said, commenting on the unconditional discharge sentence.
"After spending tens of millions of dollars, wasting over six years of obsessive work that should have been spent on protecting New Yorkers from violent, rampant crime that is destroying the city and state, coordinating with the Biden/Harris Department of Injustice in lawless weaponization, and bringing completely baseless, illegal, and fake charges against your 45th and 47th president, me, I was given an unconditional discharge," he pointed out.
"Today’s event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice," Trump added.
On January 20, Trump will become the first US president to take office as a sentenced felon. The US Constitution does not disqualify individuals convicted of crimes from running for or serving as president.
Fox News points out that the sentence will in no way affect Trump’s abilities and responsibilities as president. The New York Times writes that an unconditional discharge is different from a conditional one, which would have required the convict to meet certain conditions such as maintaining employment or paying restitution. However, in Trump’s case, there will be no such requirements, which highlights the uniqueness of the sentence. The judge said the decision stemmed from the need "to ensure finality."
Trump originally faced probation or up to four years in prison for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The newspaper notes that since 2014, a third of defendants sentenced on similar charges in Manhattan had received prison terms of less than a year, more serious sentences or conditional discharges.
Apart from the falsified documents case, Donald Trump also faces other legal challenges. An investigation into attempts by Trump and his team to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia is underway in the state. Even though the district attorney has been removed from the case, questions about Trump’s actions in Georgia remain relevant. Still, despite all his legal troubles, Trump continues to insist that he is a victim of politically motivated persecution, taking advantage of it to mobilize his political base.