Judge Delays Ruling on Presidential Immunity in Donald Trump’s Hush Money Case

Key Highlights:

The judge has postponed the ruling on Donald Trump’s presidential immunity to September 16, two days before his scheduled sentencing.
Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
Trump’s lawyers argue the case should be dismissed based on a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.

NEW YORK — The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money trial has postponed the ruling on presidential immunity to September 16, just two days before Trump’s scheduled sentencing on September 18. This delay follows a request from Trump’s lawyers to first address their renewed bid to have Judge Juan M. Merchan recuse himself from the case.

Sentencing Date and Case Details

Judge Merchan confirmed that Donald Trump is still due in court on September 18 for sentencing or other appropriate proceedings. Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, and the Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment on the matter.

Background of the Case

In May, a jury found Donald Trump guilty of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. Daniels had considered going public with claims of a sexual encounter with Trump from a decade earlier. Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels and was reimbursed by Trump, who logged the repayment as legal expenses. Prosecutors argued this was an attempt to disguise the nature of the transactions and the underlying hush money deal.

Trump’s Stance and Legal Arguments

Trump denies Daniels’ allegations, insists he did nothing wrong, and claims the case is politically motivated by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, a Democrat. Trump’s legal team argues that a recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity should overturn the guilty verdict and dismiss the case. They also claim the trial was tainted by inadmissible evidence, including testimony from Trump White House staffers and tweets from 2018.

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Supreme Court’s Impact and Recusal Request

The Supreme Court’s ruling restricts the prosecution of ex-presidents for official acts, which Donald Trump’s lawyers argue applies to his case. However, the Manhattan district attorney’s office contends that the ruling does not affect the hush money case, which involves unofficial acts.

Last week, Trump’s lawyers again requested Judge Merchan to recuse himself, citing his daughter’s work for Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 campaign as a potential conflict of interest. Merchan previously rejected two recusal requests, calling the defense’s concerns speculative and unsupported.

Other Legal Challenges for Trump

This hush money case is one of four criminal prosecutions against Trump last year. A federal case regarding Trump’s handling of classified documents was dismissed last month, with the Justice Department appealing. Other federal and Georgia state cases related to Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election are not expected to go to trial before the November election.

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