Former US President Donald Trump has filed a request to transfer a criminal case alleging falsification of documents from a New York district court to a federal court.
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A jury previously convicted Trump on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with payments to two women, including porn star Stormy Daniels, to keep quiet about their alleged affair.
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Sentencing in a Manhattan court is scheduled for September 18, just a month and a half before presidential election day on November 5.
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“The ongoing litigation will cause direct and irreparable harm to President Trump, the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election, and to voters far beyond Manhattan,” Trump’s lawyers said in a motion.
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The motion was filed as Trump’s legal team awaits the outcome of an attempt to delay sentencing. In mid-August, Trump asked a state judge to delay sentencing until after the election. The judge was expected to rule on the delay request next week, and it was unclear whether Trump’s federal request would prevent it, the newspaper noted.
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The maximum possible punishment for the totality of charges brought against Trump in the case of payments and falsifications is 136 years in prison. The ex-president himself declared his innocence and the absence of grounds to initiate a case. Trump believes that the prosecution is only politically motivated and related to his intention to compete for the presidency in 2024.
