Trump's Delay Tactics: The Latest Gambit in the Hush-Money Case

As the September 18 sentencing looms, Donald Trump's legal team has once again filed a request to delay the proceedings, citing a pending immunity decision and the judge's daughter's work for Democratic candidates. This is the former president's 12th attempt to postpone the case, and it comes just a day after the judge criticized Trump for repeating failed legal efforts.

A Desperate Bid to Postpone the Inevitable

The Eleventh-Hour Delay Request

Lawyers for Donald Trump have filed their 12th request to delay the hush-money case sentencing, this time asking to postpone the September 18 hearing until after the presidential election. The two-page motion, submitted to New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, reiterates previously rejected arguments, including the claim that the judge's daughter's political work creates a conflict of interest.

Immunity Concerns and Recusal Attempts

The delay request argues that sentencing should be postponed because the judge has a significant decision pending on September 16 regarding whether the case should be dismissed entirely due to Trump's newly-granted immunity from prosecutions based on official acts. The motion also repeats the defense team's unsuccessful attempt to have Merchan recuse himself for the third time, citing his daughter's past work as a political consultant for Democratic candidates, including Kamala Harris.

Questioning the Judge's Impartiality

The defense motion specifically mentions Loren Merchan's role as a minority partner at the Chicago-based political consultancy firm Authentic, where she worked on the Harris presidential campaign in 2019. The firm was founded by Democratic activist Mike Nellis, who organized a fundraiser for Harris. Trump's lawyers argue that this connection calls into question the judge's impartiality.

The Timing Factor

The delay request also notes that the current sentencing date falls "after the commencement of early voting in the Presidential election." The attorneys argue that adjourning the sentencing until after the election is "of paramount importance to the entire nation" and that there is "no valid countervailing reason" for the court to maintain the current schedule.

A Pattern of Delay Tactics

Only two of Trump's previous hush-money delay requests have been approved by Judge Merchan. The first was a three-week delay of the original March 25 trial start date due to late production of evidence by federal prosecutors, and the second was a more than two-month delay of the original July 11 sentencing date, granted after the U.S. Supreme Court's immunity opinion.

Criticism from the Bench

The latest delay request comes just a day after Judge Merchan rejected the defense team's third request for his recusal and criticized Trump for repeating failed legal efforts. It remains to be seen whether the judge will grant this latest delay, or if the former president's sentencing will proceed as scheduled, despite his team's persistent attempts to postpone the proceedings.