President-elect Donald Trump Asks Supreme Court to Postpone Sentence in Hush Money Case
President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to call off his sentencing in a hush money case in New York, just days before he is set to take office. Trump’s lawyers argue that the conviction would have “intolerable side effects” and harm the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government if he is convicted while still in office.
Trump’s lawyers, led by John Sauer and Todd Blanche, submitted an emergency motion to the Supreme Court, saying that the New York trial court “lacks authority to impose sentence and judgment on President Trump – or conduct any further criminal proceedings against him – until the resolution of his underlying appeal raising substantial claims of Presidential immunity, including by review in this Court if necessary.”
The motion comes after a New York court refused to postpone the sentencing, which is set for Friday. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and the Manhattan district attorney’s office has charged that Trump had falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election.
Trump’s lawyers argue that the conviction is not just about the individual, but about the institution of the presidency and the harm it could cause to the country. They point to a previous Supreme Court ruling that gave presidents broad immunity from prosecution while in office and argue that this ruling supports their argument that Trump’s New York conviction should be overturned.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office is expected to respond to the motion in court papers. The case has been closely watched, with many viewing it as a test of the limits of presidential immunity and the role of the courts in ensuring the rule of law.
It is unclear whether the Supreme Court will take up the case, but Trump’s lawyers argue that it is essential to do so in order to prevent “grave injustice and harm” to the institution of the presidency and the federal government.
