Judge delays Donald Trump hush money sentencing until after US election

A New York judge on Friday delayed former US president Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money criminal case until after the November 5 election, writing that he wants to avoid the unwarranted perception of a political motive.

Trump, the Republican nominee for president, had previously been scheduled to be sentenced on September 18. His lawyers in August asked Justice Juan Merchan to push back his sentencing date until after the vote, citing “naked election-interference objectives”, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the charges against Trump, is a Democrat.

Merchan said on Friday he now planned to sentence Trump on November 26, unless the case is dismissed before then.

“The imposition of sentence will be adjourned to avoid any appearance – however unwarranted – that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate,” the judge wrote. “The court is a fair, impartial and apolitical institution.”

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he appreciated that Merchan noted the sentencing would take place only if the judge denies a pending motion by his lawyers to toss out the jury’s verdict.