Trump's Hush Money Sentencing Delayed To September: US Election 2024 Drama Intensifies

The sentencing of Donald Trump for his conviction on criminal charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star was delayed on Tuesday until Sept. 18, less than seven weeks before the U.S. election.

The sentencing date was pushed back by Justice Juan Merchan so that he could weigh the former U.S. president's argument that he should have been immune from prosecution under Monday's landmark Supreme Court ruling which stated that presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted for official acts. Notably, the decision to delay the proceedings comes in the light of approaching US Presidential Elections 2024.

Trumps Hush Money Case Date Delayed - Here's What You Must Know

With the new timeline, it means that Merchan could decide the punishment for the Republican presidential candidate, including whether to jail him, in the midst of the campaign season before the Nov. 5 election. The sentencing had previously been scheduled for July 11, just days before the July 15 kickoff of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

The hush money conviction's overturning is expected to be an uphill battle for Trump, as much of the conduct at issue in the case occurred before his time in office, as reported by First Post. On Monday, Trump's lawyers asked Merchan to allow them to argue that his conviction should be overturned in light of the justices' 6-3 ruling on July 1, which also stated that evidence related to presidents' official actions cannot be used to help prove criminal cases involving unofficial actions.

Earlier on Tuesday, prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office stated that Trump's argument was "without merit," but they agreed to delay the sentencing to allow Trump the opportunity to make his case, as per US Media reports.

On May 30, Trump was found guilty by a Manhattan jury of falsifying business records to cover up his former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter until after the 2016 election, in which Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The payment was described by prosecutors as part of an illicit scheme to influence the election. Trump has denied having had sex with Daniels and has vowed to appeal the conviction after his sentencing. In their letter to Merchan, defense lawyers argued that prosecutors had presented evidence involving Trump's official acts as president, including social media posts and conversations he had while in the White House.

According to lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, "This official-acts evidence should never have been put before the jury." Last year, Trump made a similar argument in an unsuccessful effort to move the hush money case to federal court. In July 2023, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein wrote that the payment to Daniels "was a purely personal item," as reported by First Post.

Hellerstein stated, "Hush money paid to an adult film star is not related to a president's official acts." Trump's lawyers initially appealed Hellerstein's decision, but later abandoned the effort. In his written ruling, Merchan indicated that he would rule on Trump's request to set aside the jury's verdict by Sept. 6, with sentencing to follow less than two weeks later if the conviction is upheld. Trump's lawyers have until July 10 to submit their arguments, and prosecutors have until July 24 to respond.

Trump's Hush Money Case: A Miss By Biden In US Debate

During a political debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, where Trump's legal issues were not immediately addressed. It was seen as a missed opportunity for Biden to capitalise on Trump's vulnerabilities right away. Trump's various convictions and ongoing court cases, including a significant case involving hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, a porn star, were a key liability that Biden could have highlighted earlier.

Eventually, the issue was brought up, and Biden criticized Trump for allegedly having an affair with Stormy Daniels while his wife, Melania, was pregnant. Biden used this situation to attack Trump's character, saying he had "the morals of an alley cat," suggesting that Trump's actions were unethical and indicative of a lack of integrity. This critique aimed to highlight Trump's personal scandals and present him as unfit for office. In response, Trump made a striking and unusual statement for a presidential debate, denying the affair with a blunt, "I didn't have sex with a porn star."