The New York judge who presided over Donald Trump’s hush money case on Friday sentenced the president-elect to an “unconditional discharge,” meaning he is now a convicted felon in the eyes of New York state law but will face no further penalties.

“This has been a very terrible experience,” a dour Trump said, speaking remotely from his Florida home when allowed to address the judge.

“It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election,” he said. “I am totally innocent. I did nothing wrong,” he maintained.

The sentencing came just 10 days before Trump is set to be sworn in as the country’s 47th president.

“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” Judge Juan Merchan said before he handed down his sentence. “This has been a truly extraordinary case.”

Trump’s attorneys had repeatedly sought to stay the proceeding, which Merchan scheduled last week. Their appeals to Merchan, two state appeals courts and even the country’s highest court over the past week were unsuccessful. Trump’s last hope, the U.S. Supreme Court, declined to block the proceeding in a 5-4 ruling late Thursday.

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