Former US President and current Republican nominee, Donald Trump, is requesting the judge in his New York hush-money criminal case to delay his sentencing until after the November presidential election. This request, made public on Thursday, highlights concerns about potential election interference.
In a letter to Judge Juan Merchan, Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, argued that sentencing Trump as scheduled on September 18—approximately seven weeks before election day—could be seen as interfering with the electoral process. Blanche suggested that delaying the sentencing would give Trump time to consider his next steps following the judge's expected ruling on September 16 regarding the defense's request to overturn the verdict and dismiss the case based on the US Supreme Court’s July presidential immunity ruling.
“There is no basis for continuing to rush,” Blanche wrote.
This letter followed the judge’s rejection of the defense's latest request for him to step aside from the case due to a perceived conflict of interest, as Merchan’s daughter works as a Democratic political consultant, including for Kamala Harris during her 2020 presidential campaign. Harris is currently running against Trump.
Blanche asserted that postponing the sentencing until after the election would reduce concerns about the integrity of future proceedings. Merchan, who maintains his confidence in his ability to remain fair and impartial, has not yet ruled on the delay request.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office, which prosecuted Trump's case, has not yet commented on the delay request.
Trump was convicted in May of falsifying his business records to conceal a 2016 payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels, aimed at keeping her quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter. Prosecutors claimed this payout was part of a broader effort by Trump to prevent damaging stories from affecting his first presidential campaign. Trump denies the allegations, asserting that the payments were for legal work and correctly categorized in business records.
Falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years in prison, though other possible sentences include probation, a fine, or conditional discharge, which would require Trump to avoid further legal trouble. Trump, the first ex-president convicted of a crime, has pledged to appeal the conviction, though this cannot proceed until after sentencing.
In his letter, Blanche argued that the short period between the scheduled ruling on September 16 and the sentencing two days later is unfair, as it does not provide adequate time to prepare. He stated that if Merchan rules against Trump on the dismissal request, the former president would need sufficient time to explore state and federal appellate options.
The Supreme Court's recent immunity decision restricts prosecutions of ex-presidents for official acts and limits the use of official acts as evidence in proving that a president's unofficial actions were illegal. Trump’s lawyers contend that, in light of this ruling, evidence presented by former White House staffers regarding Trump’s reaction to news coverage of the Daniels deal should not have been considered by jurors.
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