Prosecutors acknowledge delay in Donald Trump hush money case as new president seeks impeachment

New York prosecutors have agreed to delay sentencing in President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money case.

Mr. Trump said he hoped the case would be dismissed in light of his election victory and asked the judge to set a schedule for litigating the matter.

Mr. Trump was scheduled to be sentenced on November 26, but New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan last week paused all proceedings in the case at the request of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.

Prosecutors said they would now agree to a continuance, but asked Judge Merchan to set a deadline for Mr. Trump to formally request the case be dismissed.

Mr. Trump said he hoped the case would be dismissed now that he was elected president and asked a judge to set a schedule for litigating the issue.

Prosecutors suggested they be given until December 9 to oppose Trump’s offer.

Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Mr. Trump’s campaign, called Mr. Bragg’s position a “complete and decisive victory” for the new president in a statement.

Trump, a Republican, was convicted in May of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels for her silence about a sexual relationship she said she had with Mr. Trump before the 2016 election. BT.

This was the first time a former or sitting US president was convicted or charged with a criminal offense.

Prosecutors had requested more time to consider next steps in the case, citing the need to balance “competing interests” between continuing the criminal case and preserving the president’s office.

Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case, which he portrayed as a politically motivated attempt by Mr. Bragg, a longtime Democrat, to interfere with his campaign.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers also argued that his conviction should be vacated and the charges dismissed because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July ruling that presidents cannot be tried for their official actions and that evidence of their official actions cannot be used in lawsuits over their personal conduct.

Mr. Bragg’s office said the case was all about personal conduct.

Forgery of business records is punishable by up to four years in prison.

Before his election, experts said it was unlikely but not impossible that Mr. Trump would face penalties such as fines or probation.

Reuters