The U.S. Supreme Court has narrowly denied Donald Trump’s request to delay his criminal hush money sentencing, clearing the way for the president-elect to be sentenced Friday in New York.
Four of the nine justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — indicated they would have granted Trump’s request to halt his sentencing.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Trump-appointee Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices to deny Trump the relief he sought.
Trump’s last hope to halt Friday’s sentencing had rested with the Supreme Court, after the New York Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state, on Thursday denied his request to block the sentencing.
Trump on Wednesday launched an eleventh-hour request to New York’s highest court to pause the hush money case, on the same day that he also asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block his sentencing.
n a brief filed to the Supreme Court late Thursday, Trump’s lawyers reiterated their position that Trump is entitled to immunity as president-elect.
“President Trump, the constitutional structure, and the nation are irreparably harmed by letting the sentencing go forward while there are no little to no harms in staying it,” wrote Trump attorney D. John Sauer, who Trump has nominated for solicitor general under his new administration.
