Trump asks to postpone his sentencing until after US elections

 

Donald Trump’s lawyers have requested that the judge in the Stormy Daniels hush money case postpone sentencing until after the November presidential election. This information comes from a letter obtained by CNN.

Trump was convicted in May on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records to conceal a payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. His sentencing is currently scheduled for September 18.

This latest filing represents an ongoing effort by Trump’s legal team to either fight or delay his conviction and remove Judge Juan Merchan from presiding over the case.

A postponement has been granted once before

This is not the first time sentencing has been postponed. Judge Merchan rescheduled the initial hearing date of July 11 to September following the US Supreme Court’s decision to grant Trump presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for acts committed while in office. However, the payment to Daniels fell outside this timeframe.

The judge has stated that he intends to rule on Trump’s request to vacate his conviction based on the Supreme Court’s immunity decision on September 16.

In response, Trump’s lawyers argued in their letter that “a single business day is an unreasonably short time for their client to defend his rights.”

They further noted that the sentencing date falls after early voting begins in some states, which could impact the electoral process.

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate and former US president, addressed the media during a press conference at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 15, 2024.

Failure to grant a postponement would constitute interference in the election

Trump’s legal team, Todd Blanche and Emile Bove, wrote in their letter, “Apart from the goals of intervening in the elections, there is no valid counterargument for the Court to maintain the current trial date. There is no basis for continuing the rush.”

Earlier this week, Judge Merchan affirmed that he would not recuse himself from the case, despite his daughter’s political involvement with the Democrats.

An advisory panel on ethics had previously found no grounds for the judge’s recusal due to a conflict of interest.

In denying Trump’s request, Judge Merchan wrote, “This Court reiterates, for the third time, what should already be clear: innuendo and baseless attacks do not create a conflict.”

He further assured that his decisions would continue to be based on evidence and law, without fear or favour, setting aside any improper influence.

Recent polls show that Donald Trump is currently trailing Kamala Harris in critical states.