The Manhattan District Attorney announced Tuesday that it would postpone sentencing for President-elect Donald Trump in the hush money case, giving Trump’s legal team time to file an expected motion to dismiss.
In a letter to Judge Juan Merchan, the DA’s office acknowledged that Trump is unlikely to be sentenced “until after the end of Defendant’s upcoming presidential term,” but maintained that his felony conviction should remain intact.
The development highlights a remarkable reversal in Trump’s legal and political fortunes. A year ago, Trump faced four separate indictments.
Now, with his re-election secured, his legal team’s strategy of delaying proceedings until after the 2024 election has largely succeeded. The two federal cases are nearing resolution, the Georgia case remains stagnant, and the New York case is likely to conclude without a sentencing during his presidency.
Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to reimbursements made to his former attorney Michael Cohen for a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The payment was intended to silence Daniels about an alleged affair with Trump before the 2016 election—a claim Trump denies.
READ: Andy McCarthy, Jonathan Turley Say Judge Merchan Will Likely ‘Delay’ Trump Case Rather Than Drop It
In the letter to the court, the DA’s office argued against dismissing the conviction, stating that no legal precedent supports dismissing post-trial proceedings against a president for actions taken before holding office.
“This is a total and definitive victory for President Trump and the American People who elected him in a landslide. The Manhattan DA has conceded that this Witch Hunt cannot continue. The lawless case is now stayed, and President Trump’s legal team is moving to get it dismissed once and for all,” said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung.
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