Trump calls court ruling "witch hunt" after unconditional release in financial forgery case

Donald Trump, the US President-elect, dismissed the court’s recent ruling in New York as another "witch hunt," commenting on the decision to impose an unconditional release in his financial forgery case involving the Trump Organization’s payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels, Caliber.Az reports via Fox News.

In a statement, Trump expressed his frustration, saying, “After six years of obsession, millions of dollars wasted, and coordination with the Biden/Harris Department of (non)Justice, I received an unconditional release. This result proves there was never any case.”

Trump also characterised the verdict as “election interference” and referred to the trial as a "disgraceful staging." He emphasized his intent to appeal the decision to restore faith in the judicial system.

“That result alone proves that, as all Legal Scholars and Experts have said, THERE IS NO CASE, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE, and this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social shortly after the proceeding ended.

On January 20, Trump will become the first US president to take office with a criminal conviction, as no president has ever been elected after being convicted of a felony. However, the US Constitution does not bar individuals with criminal records from running for or holding the office of president.

The conviction will not affect Trump’s capacity to serve as president or commander-in-chief. The New York Times points out that Trump received an unconditional release, a rare sentence, which means he is not required to meet conditions like employment or restitution—unlike conditional releases. The judge’s decision was aimed at ensuring “closure” in the case.

Trump had faced the possibility of probation or up to four years in prison for 34 counts of financial forgery. The New York Times highlights that, in similar cases in Manhattan, many convicted individuals received sentences of less than one year in prison, while others faced harsher penalties or conditional releases. Trump’s unconditional release is particularly unusual due to the absence of any obligations.

Beyond this case, Trump is still dealing with other legal matters. In Georgia, an investigation is ongoing regarding attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in that state. Although the district attorney overseeing the case was removed, questions about Trump’s actions there continue to linger. Despite the legal challenges, Trump insists that he is being subjected to politically motivated harassment, framing this narrative to rally his political supporters.

By Tamilla Hasanova