WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump asks the Supreme Court to cancel Friday’s sentencing in his hush-money case in New York.
Trump’s lawyers turned to the nation’s highest court on Wednesday after courts in New York refused to stay the sentencing of Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial and sentencing last May. 34 crimes for falsifying company data.
The Supreme Court asked for a response from New York prosecutors on Thursday.
Trump’s lawyers asked for an immediate stay of Friday’s sentencing “to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency and the activities of the federal government.”
Republican presidential spokesman Steven Cheung called for the case to be dismissed in a statement. The Manhattan district attorney’s office said it will respond in lawsuits.
Merchan has indicated he will not impose jail time, fines or probation.
Trump’s lawyers have pointed to the Supreme Court ruling that granted him broad immunity from criminal charges as they sought to have his conviction thrown out in New York.
Although that view emerged in a separate election interference case against him, Trump’s lawyers say it means some of the evidence used against him in his hush money trial should have been protected by presidential immunity. Koopman disagrees.
Wednesday’s filing was signed by John Sauer, Trump’s chosen attorney general, who also represented him before the Supreme Court in the election interference case.
___ Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report.