Trump asks court to dismiss hush money conviction ahead of sentencing
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President-elect Donald Trump has asked a New York court to throw out his hush money conviction before Friday's scheduled sentencing. It has been set for 10 January, just 10 days before the presidential inauguration. Trump was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records, relating to an alleged scheme to hide a hush money payment to adult actress Stormy Daniels in the last weeks of his first campaign in 2016.
Trump's spokesperson has called the case "lawless" and a "witch hunt". Lawyers for the 78-year-old have previously pushed to dismiss the verdict and throw out the case on presidential immunity grounds, due to his impending return to the White House. Their request to a state appeals court represents a last-ditch effort by Trump to block a lower court ruling on Monday to proceed with the sentencing on Monday.
In the ruling judge Juan Merchan rejected a request from Trump's lawyers to delay the sentencing while they appealed two of his previous rulings upholding the Manhattan jury's guilty verdict on 34 felony counts of falsifying records in May. January 6th certification ceremony a far cry from the storming of the Capitol four years ago.
Donald Trump Jr to visit Greenland, official says, after president-elect Trump suggests taking control of island. US president-elect Donald Trump's victory certified by defeated rival Kamala Harris. Scheduling Trump's sentencing for Friday, Mr Merchan said he was not inclined to send Trump to jail.
