Trump wants to postpone the sentencing to after the presidential election.
Former US President Donald Trump has asked the judge in his New York hush money case to delay the sentencing decision until after the presidential election in November. In a letter released on Thursday, Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche argued that the currently scheduled September 18th date amounts to election interference.
A delay would also give Trump time to consider his next steps, as Judge Juan Merchan is set to rule on September 16th on the defense's motion to vacate the verdict and dismiss the case in light of a Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, Blanche wrote. "There is no need for further haste," he explained.
In the letter, Blanche reiterated the defense's argument that the judge has a conflict of interest because his daughter works as a political advisor for the Democrats. Delaying the sentencing announcement until after the election would reduce, if not eliminate, concerns about the integrity of the proceedings, the lawyer wrote.
Trump was found guilty in May of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. He has dismissed the hush money case as a political maneuver aimed at damaging his current campaign for a return to the White House.
The defense argues that delaying the sentencing decision for 'The call' until after the election would reduce concerns about the proceedings' integrity. This delay would also provide Trump with more time to consider his next steps post-September 16th, when the judge considers vacating the verdict.
