Donald Trump asked a federal court to take over his New York hush money case. This could delay his sentencing, scheduled for next month.
His lawyers filed the request with the Southern District of New York. They argue the prosecution’s actions conflict with a recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. Also they claim the Manhattan case could harm Trump, the leading 2024 presidential candidate. They also believe voters outside Manhattan could be affected.
Trump’s attorneys want the case moved to federal court for a fair trial. They accuse New York Judge Juan Merchan of bias pointing to his daughter’s work as a Democratic consultant. They also criticize the gag order on Trump, calling it “unwarranted and unconstitutional.”
Judge Merchan hasn’t ruled on a previous request to delay sentencing until after the election. If he denies it, Trump will be on sentence on September 18. This is just weeks before Election Day.
In May, a jury convicted Trump of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records. The charges relate to hush money payments made by his former attorney Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors argue these payments were falsely labeled as legal fees.
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