Trump Begs Courts for Another Favor in Hush-Money Case
Donald Trump may have gotten a massive reprieve in the criminal sentencing for his hush-money trial, but that doesn’t mean that his attorneys are finished with trying to wipe the whole issue off the table.
Last week, New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan delayed Trump’s sentencing from September 18 to November 26, after the presidential election. But by Monday, Trump’s legal team had already asked a federal appeals court to intervene, requesting a total pause in the proceedings on the basis that Merchan’s adjustment “does not allow adequate time for interlocutory” appeal after the Supreme Court’s broad immunity ruling.
“Because of the significance of the Presidential immunity doctrine, the federal government and the public share an interest in that outcome—even if these novel and complex issues are to be addressed after the 2024 Presidential election,” wrote Trump attorneys Emil Bove and Todd Blanche.
Trump was found guilty in May of 34 felony charges related to falsifying business records with the intent to further an underlying crime in the first degree. Trump was accused of using his former fixer Michael Cohen to sweep an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels under the rug before the 2016 presidential election in an effort to skew public opinion.
Trump’s other legal trials are also hanging in the balance. The former president’s January 6 federal election interference case, which resumed Thursday, was considered practically dead after the Supreme Court granted the presidential office sweeping immunity protections. But the Republican presidential nominee has managed to drop soundbites in recent weeks that amount to outright confessions to the underlying charges—something that legal experts believe could be used against him in court.