A New York court has officially declared U.S. President-elect Donald Trump guilty of a criminal offense in connection with payments made to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, to suppress details of their alleged affair. However, the judge opted not to impose any sentence, allowing Trump to attend his inauguration on January 20 without facing jail time or fines.
The court found that Trump had made the illegal payment in an attempt to prevent Daniels from revealing details of their sexual encounter just before the 2016 presidential election. Trump has consistently denied the allegations.
Despite attempts by Trump’s legal team to delay the process, the judge ruled against postponing the proceedings. Trump’s lawyers had argued that he should be granted immunity as a president-elect, a claim that was dismissed by Judge Allen G. Gessmer. They also tried to have the case dismissed based on a previous Supreme Court ruling which granted sitting presidents broader legal immunity. This request was rejected by the court.
Trump is now poised to become the first U.S. president to take office while convicted of a crime, though the lack of any imposed sentence means his ability to serve remains unaffected. The case centers around payments made in 2016 to prevent Daniels from revealing her alleged affair with Trump, which he has always denied.
