President-Elect Sentenced on Hush Money Payment Case
President-elect Donald Trump is set to be sentenced today on charges of business fraud related to a hush money payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election. Here’s what you need to know about the case:
Trump was first indicted in March 2023 by the Manhattan district attorney on state charges related to the hush-money payment. In May 2024, he was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree by 12 jurors.
Prosecutors alleged that Trump was part of an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election. They claimed he was part of an unlawful plan to suppress negative information and overpay his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, to reimburse a $130,000 hush money payment made to Daniels to keep her from speaking out about an alleged affair before the election. Trump has denied the affair.
The case has experienced several delays, with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office agreeing to delay Trump’s sentencing in November 2024 to allow time for his anticipated motion to dismiss the case. The judge, Juan Merchan, indefinitely postponed the sentencing and granted Trump’s request to file a motion to dismiss the case in November 2024.
In January 2025, Merchan rejected Trump’s effort to throw out the jury’s verdict, upholding the conviction. A sentencing hearing was set for January 10, 2025, but the judge indicated the case is essentially over. Trump is set to be sworn in as president in less than two weeks.