A New York judge has upheld President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump will be sentenced on January 10 – just 10 days before his inauguration on Jan. 20.
Trump was accused of using campaign funds to pay off Stormy Daniels, a professional escort. The payment was made by Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen. Trump then reimbursed Cohen out of his own pocket.
Trump was convicted by a jury in May 2024. His sentencing was delayed after Trump’s historic election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
The Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity said presidents are protected from prosecution. But the trial judge said the Supreme Court’s ruling did not nullify Trump’s conviction since he committed his crimes when he was not in office.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg wanted to delay Trump’s sentencing until after he completes his second term in office in 2029.
But the judge wants Trump to go to prison or become the first U.S. president to serve his term as a convicted felon.
The New York case was the only one of four indictments against Trump to go to trial. Trump attended the trial in New York City every day while campaigning in other cities on the weekends.
Since Trump’s election win, two other indictments were dismissed.
A Georgia appeals court disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from pursuing a RICO case against Trump.
The RICO case will be handed over to another Georgia prosecutor. But there won’t be a trial while Trump is in office.
Also, special prosecutor Jack Smith has withdrawn his appeal of the Mar-A-Lago documents case against Trump. Smith declined to end his prosecution of Trump’s valet and property manager.
