Former President Trump is seeking to push back sentencing in his criminal hush money case until after the 2024 presidential election, arguing that the current sentencing date of Sept. 18 advances what his attorneys call prosecutors’ “naked election-interference objectives.”
Judge Juan Merchan has already delayed sentencing once, at Trump’s request, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision on presidential immunity.
Trump was originally scheduled to be sentenced on July 11. Judge Merchan ruled last month that he would rule on Trump’s immunity claim on Sept. 16 and impose sentencing two days later.
“That timing illustrates just how unreasonable it is to have the potential for only a single day between a decision on first-impression Presidential immunity issues and an unprecedented and unwarranted sentencing,” defense lawyers wrote in a letter to judge on Thursday.
Trump’s lawyers questioned whether sentencing should take place after the start of early voting, arguing that the timing harms the integrity of the proceedings.
“Finally, setting aside naked election-interference objectives, there is no valid countervailing reason for the Court to keep the current sentencing date on the calendar. There is no basis for continuing to rush,” defense lawyers wrote.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, June 22, 2024.
Tom Brenner/Reuters
Trump’s request for a delay comes one day after Merchan sharply criticized defense lawyers for raising “inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims” in their motion to have Merchan recused from the case based on an alleged conflict of interest involving his daughter and Vice President Kamala Harris. Merchan denied the motion.
Despite Merchan denying their recusal motion, Trump’s lawyers again raised their arguments about “conflicts and appearances of impropriety” in their letter urging a delayed sentencing.
Trump was convicted in May on all 34 counts of falsifying business records connected to a hush payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Former President Donald Trump has requested a postponement of his sentencing in the hush money case until after the 2022 midterm elections. This move comes as Trump continues to face legal challenges stemming from his time in office.
The hush money case involves payments made to two women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, in order to keep them quiet during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations related to these payments and implicated Trump in the scheme.
Trump was scheduled to be sentenced in the case in the coming months, but his legal team has requested a delay until after the midterm elections in November. They argue that allowing the sentencing to proceed before the elections could unfairly influence voters and impact Trump’s political future.
Critics of Trump have accused him of trying to manipulate the legal system for his own benefit, while supporters argue that he should be allowed to focus on his political activities without the distraction of a sentencing looming over him.
The request for a postponement highlights the ongoing legal troubles facing Trump as he considers a potential run for president in 2024. In addition to the hush money case, Trump is also facing investigations into his finances and business practices in New York and other states.
It remains to be seen whether the court will grant Trump’s request for a postponement, but the case is sure to continue to draw attention as it unfolds. The outcome of this legal battle could have significant implications for Trump’s political future and his standing within the Republican Party.
