Just a little over a week ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, the US Supreme Court has rejected his latest bid to delay sentencing in the hush-money case. He will be sentenced in the case on Friday in Manhattan, reported news agency AFP.
The US Supreme Court‘s bench of nine judges rejected the bid with a close 5-4 vote. Among those who voted in favour of Trump’s bid are conservative judges – Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. However, in a surprising move, two other conservative judges – Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett – turned down Trump’s request along with the court’s three liberal judges, said the AFP report. It is notable that Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh were appointed by Trump.
The court’s order, however, said that the sentencing won’t be a big problem for Trump and his impending administration. “Burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial,” said the order.
The court has also said that the President-elect is free to appeal his conviction and the “alleged evidentiary violations” during his trial.
While disappointing, the order doesn’t seem to come as a big blow to Trump as Judge Juan Mechan, who presided over his hush money trial, has said his sentence will be one of “unconditional discharge”, immunising the President-elect of any jail time, fine or probation.
The court has also allowed Trump to attend the sentencing virtually.
Donald Trump’s Reaction
After the Supreme Court’s order, Trump has maintained that he is innocent in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. “Every Legal Scholar stated, unequivocally, that this is a case that should never have been brought. There was no case against me. In other words, I am innocent of all of the Judge’s made up, fake charges,” he said in the post.
He called his conviction in the case “weaponisation” of the US’ justice system against a “political opponent”. “It’s called Lawfare,” he added.
“For the sake and sanctity of the Presidency, I will be appealing this case, and am confident that JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL. The pathetic, dying remnants of the Witch Hunts against me will not distract us as we unite and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he said in the same post.
Case and conviction
The case against Trump pertains his efforts of covering up hush-money payments made by him to porn star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about their alleged sexual encounter before the 2016 presidential campaign.
He was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the payments.
