Former United States President Donald Trump’s legal team has requested a delay in his sentencing on Thursday, August 15, until after the November presidential election.
This request was made in a letter to the judge in his New York hush money case, which CNN has obtained.
Trump was convicted in May of 34 felony charges related to falsifying business records to conceal a payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Sentencing is currently set for September 18.
This latest filing is part of ongoing efforts by Trump’s attorneys to challenge the conviction, postpone sentencing, and remove Judge Juan Merchan from the case.
The sentencing had previously been moved from July 11 to September following a Supreme Court decision that granted Trump some presidential immunity.
Trump’s attorneys, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, wrote in the letter, noting, "Setting aside naked election-interference objectives, there is no valid countervailing reason for the Court to keep the current sentencing date on the calendar. There is no basis for continuing to rush."
Despite Trump’s team’s objections, Merchan has stated he will not recuse himself from the case, rejecting claims of a conflict of interest related to his daughter’s political affiliations.
Judge Merchan has indicated that he will decide on Trump’s request to dismiss the conviction based on the Supreme Court’s ruling on September 16.
