Donald Trump’s sentencing in his New York hush money case has been canceled while the court decides how to proceed after his surprise re-election victory.
According to a brief court note, the sentencing scheduled for the end of this month, on November 26, has been “postponed” indefinitely.
It comes as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argued that the hush money case against President-elect Donald Trump should continue. But he also surprisingly acknowledged that his prosecutors may need to pause the case when Trump enters the White House.
“We would not oppose (Trump’s) request to suspend further proceedings,” prosecutors wrote in a document Tuesday.
Bragg writes that prosecutors “deeply respect the office of the president, are mindful of the demands and obligations of the presidency, and recognize that the defendant’s inauguration will raise unprecedented legal questions.”
The case could be delayed until Trump leaves the White House in four years or be dismissed outright.
Trump’s team immediately declared victory after the district attorney’s admission.
“This is a complete and definitive victory for President Trump and the American people who elected him overwhelmingly,” said Communications Director Steven Cheung.
‘The Manhattan District Attorney has admitted that this witch hunt cannot continue. The illegal case is now on hold and President Trump’s legal team is moving to have it dismissed once and for all.
Judge Juan Merchán is currently weighing whether the Supreme Court’s landmark presidential immunity decision and the outcome of the presidential election apply to the case, and has not yet made a decision on whether to suspend the proceedings.
Trump faced up to four years in prison, although many experts say the first-time offender was unlikely to go to prison even before his surprise election victory two weeks ago.
Donald Trump’s sentencing in his New York secret money case has been canceled while the court decides how to proceed
In May, a New York jury found the now-incoming president guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
In May, a New York jury found the now-incoming president guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to silence porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
The president-elect’s lawyers argue that the case should be dismissed outright.
In a filing last week, Trump’s lawyers, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, asked for a stay and dismissal of the case.
They said it creates “impediments” to Trump’s ability to govern, among other issues.
Merchan is expected to rule on the Trump team’s argument that the former president’s conduct is entitled to immunity protections following the ruling.
The 6-3 ruling by the Supreme Court’s conservative majority came in July, after the trial.
The ruling affirmed that the president of the United States has immunity from prosecution for official acts in office.
‘The President does not enjoy immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything he does is official. The president is not above the law,” wrote the majority of the justices led by the president of the Supreme Court, John Roberts.
‘But under our system of separated powers, the president cannot be prosecuted for exercising his basic constitutional powers, and is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts. That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office.’
Trump celebrated the decision, writing in Truth Social: “Big victory for our constitution and democracy.” Proud to be an American!’
Trump’s team has already used the ruling, which establishes broad areas of “official” conduct that are protected from prosecution while a president is in office, to argue that the case should be dismissed.
Among the evidence shown at the trial were White House meetings between Trump and former fixer Michael Cohen, who was a star witness for the prosecution.
Stormy Daniels was at the center of the hush money trial that took place in the spring.
Daniels alleged that she and Trump had sex, which he has denied
It comes as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg faced a Nov. 19 deadline to argue how the case against the president-elect should proceed.
Trump has chosen his personal criminal defense lawyers to lead the Justice Department
Cohen was seeking a refund for payments paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. Cohen paid the porn star $130,000 weeks before the 2016 election and was reimbursed.
Daniels alleged that she and Trump had sex a decade earlier, which he has denied.
Meanwhile, Trump tapped his personal criminal defense attorney, Todd Blanche, as his deputy attorney general and added other attorneys who have represented him in senior positions at the Justice Department.
Blanche, who defended the 78-year-old in his hush money trial in New York, would be Matt Gaetz’s number two at the Justice Department and head up day-to-day operations.
“I am pleased to announce that Todd Blanche will serve as Deputy Attorney General in my administration,” Trump announced Thursday night.
“Todd is an excellent lawyer who will be a crucial leader in the Department of Justice, fixing what has been a broken Justice System for too long.”
Trump highlighted the 50-year-old’s experience in gang prosecutions and the fact that he stood by him during the Manhattan case, where he was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump has chosen his personal criminal defense attorney, Todd Blanche (R), as his deputy attorney general.
Emil Bove (left), another attorney on the hush money trial team, was assigned the role of senior associate deputy attorney general.
Emil Bove, another attorney on the hush money trial team, was assigned the role of senior deputy attorney general.
John Sauer, the lawyer in Trump’s Supreme Court immunity case, was elected attorney general.
The president-elect took these steps as Republicans appeared increasingly skeptical that Gaetz’s nomination could pass the Senate.
The president-elect’s lawyers had argued that the case should be dismissed outright.
Gaetz had been the subject of a years-long investigation by the House Ethics Committee that ended Wednesday after his abrupt resignation from Congress, a day after Trump surprisingly nominated him to be his top law enforcement official. in the nation.
His departure comes as allegations resurfaced Thursday about a woman who allegedly testified before the committee that Gaetz had sexual relations with her when she was 17.
The FBI had investigated similar allegations against Gaetz, but the Justice Department opted not to charge him over allegations of sex trafficking of a minor.
Trump’s selection of the embattled former congressman to oversee the Justice Department, FBI, DEA, ATF and related agencies has shocked Republicans and Democrats.
And the explosive claims could derail his hopes of taking the helm as attorney general.