Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is facing a delay in his sentencing date for his criminal hush money case. Trump's legal team has requested a New York judge to postpone the sentencing until after the upcoming presidential election on Nov. 5, 2024.
The attorneys argued that delaying the sentencing would help to reduce any potential issues regarding the integrity of future proceedings. They claimed that there was no valid reason for Judge Juan Merchan to stick to the current schedule, accusing the move of having "naked election-interference objectives."
Originally set for July 11, Trump's sentencing was postponed by Merchan on July 2 following a Supreme Court ruling that former presidents are entitled to "presumptive immunity" from prosecution for official acts performed while in office. This ruling prompted Trump's legal team to file a motion seeking to vacate the hush money verdict, which is still pending a decision from the judge.
Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. The Manhattan District Attorney's office, which prosecuted the case, declined to comment on the latest request from Trump's legal team.