Hush money trial: Donald Trump’s sentencing delayed until after US election

The New York judge who presided over Donald Trump’s hush money trial on Friday delayed sentencing until after November’s US presidential election.

The Republican White House candidate had been scheduled to be sentenced on September 18 for falsifying business records during a scheme to silence a porn star.

Instead, Judge Juan Merchan postponed it to November 26 — well past the November 5 election in which Trump faces Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump’s lawyers had sought the delay.

Trump was convicted in May of 34 counts of doctoring business records to cover up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels to stop her from publishing her account of an alleged sexual encounter on the eve of the 2016 election.

He was originally scheduled to be sentenced on July 11 but that was delayed after the Supreme Court ruled that a former US president has broad immunity from criminal prosecution.

Trump’s lawyers had asked that his New York conviction be dismissed following the Supreme Court immunity ruling. Merchan said he would rule on the dismissal motion on November 12 and delayed sentencing until after the election.

“This is not a decision this Court makes lightly but it is the decision which in this Court’s view, best advances the interests of justice,” he said.

Trump in theory faces up to four years in prison on each count. However, he is considered more likely to receive probation.