President-elect Donald Trump’s legal team has filed an emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to block the sentencing on his hush money case, which is due to happen Friday in New York.
According to ABC News, court filings Wednesday morning show Trump’s defense attorneys are arguing the sentencing of the soon-to-be president would undermine “the institution of the Presidency and the operations of the federal government.”
“Most fundamentally, forcing President Trump to defend a criminal case and appear for a criminal sentencing hearing at the apex of the Presidential transition creates a constitutionally intolerable risk of disruption to national security and America’s vital interests,” Trump’s attorneys said.
ABC News further reported Trump’s lawyers have argued in the new filings to the Supreme Court that the whole case was “politically motivated” and “flawed from the very beginning.”
“This appeal will ultimately result in the dismissal of the District Attorney’s politically motivated prosecution that was flawed from the very beginning, centered around the wrongful actions and false claims of a disgraced, disbarred serial-liar former attorney, violated President Trump’s due process rights, and had no merit,” Trump’s court filings read.
In 2024, the Supreme Court expanded presidential power and immunity, ruling a former president is immune from criminal liability for official acts, and fully immune for any actions taken while performing his core duties. Trump’s legal team are arguing the case should be thrown out because of Trump’s presidential immunity.
The filings to the Supreme Court came after an appeals court judge in New York, rejected Trump’s request to have the hush-money sentencing thrown out, according to the Associated Press. In May, Trump was found guilty on 34 felony charges of falsifying records related to hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Judge Ellen Gesmer denied the request to indefinitely postpone the sentencing, after Trump’s guilty verdict was upheld by Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan last week. While it is unlikely Trump will face any prison time, the felony charges will be on his criminal record indefinitely.
New York prosecutors have been given until 10 a.m. Thursday to give a respond to the Supreme Court.
