Headline: Trump Urges Supreme Court to Pause Hush Money Sentencing Ahead of Inauguration
In an unprecedented move, President-elect Donald Trump has implored the U.S. Supreme Court to halt its ruling in the case of money used to silence his followers, pivoting on part of the court’s decision last year that granted him wide immunity from criminal prosecution. This request comes a day after a New York appeals court denied Trump’s plea to postpone his sentencing, scheduled for this Friday.
Trump’s appeal, filed on Wednesday, argues that a pause is necessary "to avoid a grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency and federal government operations." In response, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s spokesperson stated, "We’ll respond through court filings."
The Supreme Court has set a deadline of 10 a.m. ET on Thursday for Bragg’s team to submit their response. Trump’s attorneys maintain that his 34 counts of falsifying business records should be dismissed as a majority conservative Supreme Court ruled in July that former presidents enjoy broad immunity for official actions.
Trump was convicted in May for falsifying records over payments to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to reimburse a $130,000 payment to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels, aiming to prevent her from speaking about a supposed affair prior to the 2016 elections. Trump has consistently denied the alleged affair.
Notably, this is not the first time Trump has pushed the boundaries of presidential immunity. In this case, however, his request is unusual as his criminal case in New York courts remains unresolved. Judge Juan Merchan has previously rejected Trump’s demands to halt Friday’s sentencing.
With the Supreme Court’s conservative 6-3 majority, which Trump helped shape during his first term with three appointees, challenges to the appeal’s procedure could arise. Steven Cheung, Trump’s spokesperson, dismissed these concerns, stating the Wednesday request was "to correct the unjust actions of New York courts and stop the illegal sentencing in the witch hunt by Manhattan DA."
Previously, on Tuesday, a New York appeals court swiftly denied Trump’s request for delay after a brief hearing. Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, argued for the tribunal to pause sentencing, acknowledging the unprecedented nature of the situation. However, Manhattan prosecutors contended that Trump’s team had not presented any argument showing how a one-hour hearing would disrupt Trump’s presidential duties.
If Trump’s lawyers succeed in halting proceedings before his January 20 inauguration, the ‘hush money’ case could drag on for months while they seek an appeal to dismiss the conviction. Trump’s latest filing leans heavily on the controversial immunity decision by the Supreme Court last year, also arguing that defending the case distracts from his transition and potentially jeopardizes national security.
Merchan previously dismissed Trump’s immunity arguments, ruling that Trump’s case involved unofficial conduct that does not qualify for protection. "If allowed to stand, this decision would gravely undermine the U.S. presidency as we know it," Trump warned the Supreme Court in his emergency appeal.
In addition to his legal challenge, Trump also asked the Supreme Court for an administrative stay, which would give justices a few days to review the case’s legal arguments before deciding on Trump’s underlying request.