The “hush money” was paid to people who threatened to release sensitive information about Donald Trump in connection with the 2016 election, including porn star Stormy Daniels.
Now the American media reports that the sentence against Donald Trump will be announced on November 26. It was previously said that it would be announced on September 18.
Judge Juan Merchan announced that the announcement of the sentence was postponed “to avoid any suspicion – however unjustified – that the process has been influenced by or wants to influence the presidential election, where the defendant is a candidate”.
– The court is a fair, impartial and non-political institution, says Merchan.
Trump’s lawyers have brought forward complaints that the court is trying to sway the election. Lawyers have also tried to move the case to a district court in Manhattan, and thus be able to have the entire trial annulled. One reason for that possibility is the United States Supreme Court’s July ruling on judicial immunity for a president.
Merchan will address the issue of immunity, but that decision will also be delayed until November 12 and after the presidential election.
Earlier this year, Trump was declared guilty on all 34 counts of accounting offenses linked to the so-called “hush money”. Which means that he risks several years in prison.
The presidential election in the United States is held on November 5.