After Judge Juan Merchan upheld Trump’s guilty verdict in his hush money case and scheduled his sentencing, President-elect Donald Trump criticized the US justice system in social media posts on Saturday, claiming that there has never been a president “so evilly and illegally treated” like him.
Key Facts
Trump wrote on Truth Social that “corrupt judges” are “so blinded by their hatred of me and my political ideology” and have made a “mockery of the United States judicial system.”
Merchan denied Trump’s request to overturn his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records on Friday, ruling that his Jan. 10 sentencing would not interfere with his upcoming presidency.
In a previous Truth Social post, Trump maintained his innocence and claimed the charges against him were “made up” by Merchan, whom he criticized as “the most conflicted judge in New York state history” and suggested Merchan be disbarred.
Trump also called New York’s justice system “corrupt,” claiming that the state’s “corrupt” courts are “why people, and companies, are fleeing” the state.
Crucial Quote
“There has never been a president who was so evilly and illegally treated as I,” Trump wrote.
He continued: “Corrupt Democrat judges and prosecutors have gone against a political opponent of a president, me, at levels of injustice never seen before.” Trump has frequently accused prosecutors in his legal cases, including the classified documents case, in which he accused the Department of Justice of conducting a “witch hunt” against him in an attempt to derail his presidential campaign.
After Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump and his companies to pay $454 million for fraudulently inflating the value of their assets, Trump labeled the civil trial a “election interference witch hunt.”
What To Watch For
Trump appeared to indicate he would appeal Merchan’s decision, saying he “still [has] confidence” that an appellate court would “bring justice to America.” According to the judge, Trump can appeal the verdict after Merchan formally sentences him, but it is unclear how long that process will take or whether it will continue while Trump is in the White House.
What Sentencing Does Trump Face?
Merchan indicated in his decision that Trump would not face prison time, but he could still be fined up to $5,000 for each of the 34 counts, for a total of $170,000.
Key Background
Following a weeks-long trial about hush money payments made by Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election, a New York jury convicted him of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in May.
During the trial, prosecutors successfully claimed that the payments, which Trump reimbursed Cohen for in 2017, were falsely labeled as legal services.
Since then, Trump has maintained his innocence and successfully delayed his sentencing after the Supreme Court ruled that he had some immunity from criminal prosecution for acts he committed while president. Trump’s sentencing was initially postponed from July to September, and then until after the election.
It was then postponed indefinitely following Trump’s election victory in November.
