Donald Trump Seeks Supreme Court Help to Delay Sentencing in Hush Money Case

In Washington, DC, US President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to delay his sentencing in a hush money case, which is set for January 10. This request follows a New York state appeals court's decision to deny his postponement request. Trump's lawyers argue that delaying the sentencing is crucial to prevent harm to the presidency and federal government operations.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office plans to respond to Trump's filing, with the high court asking prosecutors to reply by 10 am on Thursday. Trump is appealing his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records, claiming it should be dismissed based on a Supreme Court ruling granting former presidents immunity for official actions.

Trump was convicted in May 2023 for falsifying records to hide payments to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who paid USD 130,000 to adult-film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump before the 2016 election. Trump denies the affair.

The request is considered unusual as Trump's criminal case is not fully resolved in New York courts. Judge Juan Merchan, the trial judge in New York, has rejected Trump's demands to halt the sentencing, which is scheduled for Friday. Merchan upheld Trump's conviction and indicated that Trump will face no legal penalties upon his inauguration on January 20.

Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump, stated that the request was made to correct what they see as unjust actions by New York courts and to stop the unlawful sentencing in what they call the Manhattan D.A.'s "Witch Hunt."