Former President Donald Trump has requested a Manhattan federal court to take over his criminal case related to hush money payments and to block his upcoming sentencing scheduled for September 18. In his Thursday filing, Trump asked the federal court to set a schedule for him to file a motion to have the 34 guilty verdicts against him overturned and the case dismissed.
The request follows a May 30 verdict in which a 12-person Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The jury determined that Trump had falsified these records to cover up a sex scandal and interfere with the 2016 presidential election. Trump is accused of using hush money to silence allegations of an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, which he denies.
In his filing, Trump alleged that Judge Juan Merchan, who has been overseeing the case, is biased. He contended that the sentencing could lead to “immediate and unconstitutional incarceration” and impede his presidential campaign. Trump’s legal team argued that removal of the case to a federal court would provide a more impartial setting for addressing these constitutional concerns.
Judge Merchan is set to rule on September 16 regarding Trump’s argument that the evidence presented during the trial violated the Supreme Court’s July 1 ruling on presidential immunity from prosecution. If Merchan rejects this argument, Trump is scheduled for sentencing two days later. Trump’s request to delay the sentencing until after the upcoming presidential election has been met with no position from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, which prosecuted the case.
The case centers on a $130,000 payment made by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Daniels just before the 2016 election. Prosecutors argue that this payment was intended to suppress Daniels’ story of an alleged 2006 affair with Trump, which could have influenced voters during the election. Trump has consistently denied the affair took place.
The outcome of Trump’s latest legal maneuvering could significantly impact his current presidential campaign and future legal battles.
