Donald Trump’s hush money sentencing delayed two months

Donald Trump’s sentencing in his criminal hush money case has taken a new turn as his daughter Ivanka spoke about the impact of his conviction.

Donald Trump’s sentencing over his unprecedented criminal conviction has been delayed by two months, meaning the former president will now learn his fate just weeks before November’s US election.

The former president was due to be sentenced on July 11 after he was found guilty of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star before the 2016 election. He faces possible punishments ranging from probation to a prison term.

But his lawyers are now trying to use a bombshell Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity to challenge the verdict, and prosecutors agreed on Tuesday (local time) to allow them to make their case.

That prompted Judge Juan Merchan – who oversaw Trump’s trial in the Manhattan Criminal Court – to push back his sentencing until September 18.

Donald Trump during his trial in the Manhattan Criminal Court. Picture: Getty Images

The 78-year-old is due to be confirmed as the Republican Party’s presidential election nominee on July 18.

The Supreme Court on Monday handed Trump a major victory by declaring he had immunity from prosecution for his official acts as president, in a decision that further derailed the criminal case against him over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

Trump’s lawyers then moved quickly to argue to Judge Merchan that the hush money verdict should be set aside because prosecutors relied on evidence of his official acts.

The jury of New Yorkers made its decision after an explosive trial in which multiple witnesses detailed how Mr Trump conspired to suppress negative stories about his relationships with women during his first presidential run in 2016.

His lawyer Michael Cohen paid $US130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the election to prevent her going public about her claim of a brief affair with Trump. As president, Trump then falsified business records to cover up his repayment to Mr Cohen.

Donald Trump with Stormy Daniels in a 2006 photo uploaded to her MySpace account. Picture: Supplied

Will Scharf, who represented Trump in his immunity fight in the Supreme Court, said its decision “absolutely” impacted the hush money case in New York.

“The Supreme Court was very clear that for acts that fall within the outer perimeter of the president’s official responsibilities, acts that are presumptively immune from prosecution, that evidence of those acts cannot be used to try essentially private acts,” he said.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass replied in a letter to Judge Merchan: “Although we believe defendant’s arguments to be without merit, we do not oppose his request for leave to file and his putative request to adjourn sentencing pending determination of his motion.”

In a statement, US President Joe Biden’s campaign spokesman James Singer blasted the Republican’s “Hail Mary attempt to use (the) immunity decision to throw out his felonies”.

Donald Trump, with children (L-R) Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump, during the grand opening of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC in 2016. Picture: Getty

TRUMP’S CONVICTION PAINFUL, SAYS IVANKA

Ivanka Trump has described her father’s recent conviction as “painful” amid reports she will be will be present when her father finally accepts the Republican nomination for president.

“On a human level, it’s my father and I love him very much, so it’s painful to experience, but ultimately, I wish it didn’t have to be this way,” she told Lexi Fridman in an interview aired on YouTube.

She told Fridman about her decision not to be involved in his 2024 campaign.

“It was a decision rooted in me being a parent, really thinking about what they need from me now. Politics is a rough business and I think it’s one that you also can’t dabble in, I think you have to be either all in or all out,” she said.

Ivanka said she was not willing to let her children “bear that cost” of her being absent from their lives if she went on the campaign trail with her father.

“As their mom, I think it’s really important that I do what’s right for them. I think there a lot of ways you can serve, the enormity, the scale of what can be accomplished in government service, but I think there’s something equally valuable in helping in your own community,” she said.

Despite having left politics, Trump’s daughter will watch his speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, later this month, her spokesperson confirmed.

Trump sources have stressed to the New York Post that Ivanka will not serve in any political capacity at the event.

Originally published as Donald Trump’s hush money sentencing delayed two months