⚖️ Donald Trump hush money conviction: 34 counts, $130K, appeal
No jail, no fine: Merchan imposed an unconditional discharge. Trump calls the case a witch hunt; his state appeal was pending in August. ⏳
By Mr Scandal, editor at large · Desk editor Gustavs Ērkšķis-Kreicbergs · · 5 min read
APPEALEDPhoto: Daniel Torok · Public domainWhat we know
- A Manhattan jury convicted Donald Trump on May 30, 2024 of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, Justice Juan Merchan's January 2025 order says.
- The charges concern a $130,000 payment Michael Cohen made to Stormy Daniels' lawyer in October 2016 and Trump's later reimbursement of Cohen, which prosecutors say was falsely recorded.
- On Jan. 10, 2025, Merchan sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge on all 34 counts, per AP: no prison, fine or probation.
- Trump denies the charges and says he did not have sex with Daniels, the New York Times reported in May 2024.
- Trump's state appeal and a bid to move the case to federal court were both still pending when AP reported on Aug. 28, 2026.
A Manhattan jury convicted Donald Trump on May 30, 2024 of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, according to Justice Juan Merchan's January 2025 decision and order. The sentence, handed down on Jan. 10, 2025, was an unconditional discharge: no jail, no fine, no probation, Politico reported. The conviction stands, and the appeal that followed has run for nearly two years.
Trump has denied the charges and says he did not have sex with Daniels, the New York Times reported from the trial in May 2024. At sentencing he called the case a political witch hunt, per AP's excerpts. What follows is the paperwork, in order, with the dollar figures as the filings and testimony give them.
The money, as testified
| Figure | What it was | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| $130,000 | Cohen's wire to Keith Davidson, Daniels' lawyer then, on Oct. 27, 2016 | Business Insider on People's Exhibit 35 |
| $180,000 | What Cohen said he was owed: the $130,000 plus a $50,000 outlay | Cohen's testimony, per Business Insider |
| $360,000 | The $180,000 'grossed up' in Allen Weisselberg's handwriting | Cohen's testimony, per Business Insider |
| $420,000 | The $360,000 plus a $60,000 bonus | Cohen's testimony, per Business Insider |
| $35,000 | Each monthly 'retainer' check, over 12 months | Cohen's testimony, per Business Insider and the New York Times |
The timeline
Oct. 27, 2016: the wire
Business Insider's walk-through of People's Exhibit 35, a bank statement for Cohen's Essential Consultants LLC, shows Cohen wired $130,000 to Daniels' lawyer on Oct. 27, 2016, 12 days before the election. Cohen testified that he took the money from a home-equity line of credit. Trump has consistently denied having sex with Daniels, the outlet notes.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)2017: the reimbursement
Cohen testified on May 13, 2024 that Weisselberg, then the Trump Organization's chief financial officer, doubled his $180,000 to $360,000, added a $60,000 bonus and split the $420,000 into monthly checks of $35,000. The New York Times live blog says the 34 counts are one for each record: 11 checks, 11 invoices and 12 ledger entries. Cohen said Trump approved the plan; the defense says that meeting never happened, per Business Insider.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)May 30, 2024: the verdict
Merchan's Jan. 3, 2025 order records that the jury returned its verdict on 34 counts after trial, and that the deadline for post-trial motions passed without any filing. Sentencing then slipped, first after the Supreme Court's immunity ruling and then at Trump's own request until after the 2024 election. ABC News describes a six-week trial.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Jan. 10, 2025: the sentence
Trump appeared by video from Palm Beach. By AP's count he spoke for six minutes and the judge for seven. The offense is a Class E felony carrying up to four years in prison, Politico reported, yet Merchan imposed an unconditional discharge to cover all 34 counts, ten days before the inauguration.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)"This court has determined that the only lawful sentence that permits entry of a judgment of conviction without encroaching upon the highest office in the land is an unconditional discharge."
Justice Juan Merchan at sentencing, Jan. 10, 2025, per AP
"It’s been a political witch hunt. It was done to damage my reputation so that I’d lose the election."
Donald Trump at sentencing, Jan. 10, 2025, per AP
Jan. 29, 2025: new lawyers, notice of appeal
Sullivan & Cromwell filed a notice of appeal to the Appellate Division, First Department, ABC News reported. Co-chair Robert Giuffra said in a statement: "we look forward to the case being dismissed on appeal."
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)October 2025: the brief
Trump's lawyers filed a brief calling the case "the most politically charged prosecution in our Nation's history", ABC News reported. They argue that evidence of official presidential acts, including testimony from Hope Hicks, should have been barred. They also argue that Merchan should have recused himself over a $15 donation to Joe Biden's 2020 campaign and $20 more to Democratic-aligned groups. A judicial ethics committee had found no conflict, ABC News said, and the Manhattan DA's office declined to comment at the time.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)July 2026: the DA answers
The Manhattan DA's office told the appeals court the charges "arose from defendant's unofficial, nonpresidential conduct", ABC News reported. It put the judge's Democratic donations at $35 in aggregate, calling them de minimis, and said "a mountain of evidence" established guilt.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Aug. 28, 2026: federal court says no again
Judge Alvin Hellerstein refused for the third time to move the case to federal court, calling Trump's reasons "neither new nor legally sufficient", per AP via NBC New York. A spokesperson for Trump's legal team called the ruling "baseless and lawless" and said Trump will appeal. The state appeal was still pending.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)So the ledger reads: a felony conviction on 34 counts, a sentence of nothing, and a defense arguing the case should never have reached a courtroom. Both sides have now filed their papers, and the paperwork is the only part nobody disputes. If you want the live position, the appeals court docket is the place to look.
Quick quiz · 3 questions
By the numbers
- 10y 5mfrom first to latest entry on record
- 9receipts behind this story
Earlier on file: Trump border wall: $15B allocated, 47 new miles, CNN says · Alina Habba Mildon fired from $50M Concord deal, NYT reports · Dana White to meet Trump Monday on press secretary job offer
The Donald Trump file
- Reported
Trump said in a Truth Social post that he offered Dana White the White House press secretary job, per the New York Post. Dana White to meet Trump Monday on press secretary job offer
- Reported
Trump told Fox News at a Mar-a-Lago Halloween party that Habba's Concord deal was 'obnoxious and outrageous', per the Daily Mail. Alina Habba Mildon fired from $50M Concord deal, NYT reports
- Ruled
Judge Hellerstein denied Trump's bid to move the case to federal court, per AP via NBC New York. This story
- Filed
The Manhattan DA's office filed its response urging the appeals court to reject Trump's challenges, per ABC News. This story
- Filed
Trump's lawyers filed their appeal brief asking the Appellate Division to reverse the conviction, per ABC News. This story
- Filed
Trump's new lawyers filed a notice of appeal to the Appellate Division, First Department, per ABC News. This story
- Ruled
Judge Merchan sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge covering all 34 counts, per AP. This story
- Filed
Trump and Rep. Ronny Jackson sued Paramount and CBS in the Northern District of Texas over a "60 Minutes" edit, per Variety. Meta, Paramount, ABC settled Trump suits: $25M, $16M, $15M
- Ruled
A Manhattan jury convicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, per Merchan's order. This story
- Reported
Said he was "disappointed with the verdict" and planned to appeal; was not charged in the case, The New York Times reported. Trump Organization convicted on 17 tax fraud counts
- Reported
CNN reports 453 miles of border barriers built as of January 8, 2021, 47 of them new, with about $15 billion allocated. Trump border wall: $15B allocated, 47 new miles, CNN says
- Reported
The Hill reports the Senate failed to override Trump's veto over the emergency declaration. Trump border wall: $15B allocated, 47 new miles, CNN says
- Reported
CNBC reports Trump declared a national emergency to repurpose funds for the border wall; California and the ACLU said they would sue. Trump border wall: $15B allocated, 47 new miles, CNN says
- Reported
The Guardian reports Trump signed a bill ending the partial shutdown, with no wall funding. Trump border wall: $15B allocated, 47 new miles, CNN says
- Filed
Unsealed testimony in the California students' Trump University suit was reported by the New York Times. Biggest celebrity lawsuits ranked: Apple's $1B Samsung win leads
On file: The Donald Trump file
The Ledger
On the record
- A jury convicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records on May 30, 2024; Merchan imposed an unconditional discharge on Jan. 10, 2025.
- Trump filed his appeal brief in October 2025, and a federal judge denied removal to federal court on Aug. 28, 2026.
Still rumour
- Any ruling by the Appellate Division on the state appeal is not confirmed in the documents read.
- Cohen's account that Trump approved the reimbursement is testimony; the defense says that meeting never happened.
That's the record. The rest is rumour. - Mr Scandal
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