Former President Donald Trump will not be sentenced in his New York criminal hush money case until after the Nov. 5 presidential election, a judge ruled on Friday. The sentencing date, originally set for Sept. 18, has been rescheduled to Nov. 26 by Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan.
In a four-page order, Merchan stated that he will rule on Trump's request to vacate the jury's guilty verdict on Nov. 12. Trump will only be sentenced "if necessary" two weeks later, according to the ruling. The case revolves around a $130,000 payment made by Trump's then-attorney Michael Cohen to prevent porn star Stormy Daniels from speaking out about an alleged one-night stand with Trump before the 2016 presidential election. Trump reimbursed Cohen in installments after winning the election.
Trump's lawyers have repeatedly sought to have Merchan recuse himself from the case, accusing him of political bias. Merchan rejected two recusal requests before the trial began in mid-April, which ended in late May with Trump's conviction on 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records. Despite the guilty verdict, Trump's team continues to push for the dismissal of the case, citing a Supreme Court ruling that grants former presidents "presumptive immunity" for their official acts in office.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has affirmed their readiness for sentencing on the new date set by the court. Trump's campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, has criticized the case as an "Election Interference Witch Hunt," calling for its dismissal in line with the Supreme Court ruling.
Overall, the legal proceedings surrounding Trump's hush money case continue to unfold amidst a backdrop of political controversy and ongoing legal battles as the former president seeks to avoid sentencing. The judge's decisions and the responses from both Trump's legal team and the Manhattan D.A.'s office reflect the complexities and challenges of navigating a high-profile legal case in the context of broader political implications.