A New York court on Friday delayed former President Donald Trumpâs sentencing in the Stormy Daniels hush money case until after the election, handing the GOP presidential nominee a major victory.
Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records at a May trial.
Trump had requested that his originally scheduled Sept. 18, 2024, sentencing be delayed until after Election Day in order to âavoid the potential âpolitically prejudicialâ impact that a public sentencing could haveâ on him.
Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan on Friday, according to his four-page letter, moved the sentencing to Nov. 26, two days before Thanksgiving. It is still unclear if Trump will receive any prison time.
âThe decision on the motion and the imposition of sentence will be adjourned to avoid any appearanceâhowever unwarrantedâthat the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching Presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate,â Merchan wrote in his decision.
âThis matter is one that stands alone, in a unique place in this Nationâs history, and this Court has presided over it since its inceptionâfrom arraignment to jury verdict and a plenitude of motions and other matters in-between,â Merchan added.
Trump previously lost a bid on Tuesday to get his hush money case bumped up to a federal court.
âIt would be highly improper for this Court to evaluate issues of bias, unfairness or error in the state trial,â Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said of his decision to deny Trumpâs request.
Trumpâs attorneys had argued that Merchanâs daughter, who is an employee of Authentic Campaigns, who have advised and fundraised for Democratic campaigns, was grounds for Merchan to recuse himself.
Merchan called Trumpâs argument ârife with inaccuracies.â
âThere should be no sentencing in the Manhattan DAâs Election Interference Witch Hunt. As mandated by the United States Supreme Court, this case, along with all of the other HarrisâBiden Hoaxes, should be dismissed,â Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung told the Daily Beast in an emailed statement.