ExclusiveReacting to Judge Juan Marchand's decision to postpone ruling in New York v. Trump until Election Day, former President Trump said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital that the judge “did nothing wrong” and that the case “should be over.”
Trump spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital in an interview after Judge Marchan granted the former president's request to postpone the ruling until after the November presidential election.
Trump's sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 26. The original trial date was September 18.
“The lawsuit was delayed because everybody realized there was no case to be made and that I had done nothing wrong,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “This is a lawsuit that should never have been filed.”
Former President Trump held a press conference in Manhattan on Friday. (Getty Images)
“The public understands that, and every legal scholar who has looked at it and studied it understands that,” Trump said.
“I have a lot of respect for the word 'if necessary' that's used in this decision, because there should be no word like 'if necessary,'” Trump said.
“This case should be closed,” he added.
“Public confidence in the integrity of our justice system demands a jury verdict that is free from confusion and distortion and a sentencing hearing that is focused entirely on consideration of aggravating and mitigating factors,” Marchan said Friday.
“Unfortunately, we now find ourselves in a complicated situation that makes it difficult to meet the requirements for a sentencing hearing, if one were to be necessary. Therefore, having regard to some of the grounds advanced by the defendant and the reasons for the adjournment advanced by the prosecution, as well as the unusual time frame in which this case currently finds itself, [motion] “The execution of the judgment will be stayed in order to avoid any impression, however unwarranted, that it has influenced or attempted to influence the litigation due to the upcoming presidential elections in which the defendants are candidates,” Marchan said.
'Election interference': Trump lawyer seeks delay in Blagg case
Trump was convicted of 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records in an unprecedented criminal trial after a six-week trial before Manhattan District Attorney Alvin. Bragg's investigation.
“There should be no sentencing in the Manhattan District Attorney's election interference witch hunt. Following the orders of the U.S. Supreme Court, this case should be dismissed along with the other Harris-Biden frame-up cases,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Chang told Fox News Digital.
Trump's initial sentencing was scheduled for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention, where Trump was set to be formally nominated as the Republican Party's 2024 presidential candidate, but Judge Juan Marchan agreed to postpone the sentencing until September 18.
Trump's legal team later asked that the trial be postponed until after the November presidential election, citing a “blatant attempt to interfere in the election.”
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and appealed the verdict, which his lawyer, Todd Blanche, said should be overturned under Supreme Court rulings on presidential immunity.
Blanche also noted that Marchand's daughter works for Authentic Campaigns, which represents top Democratic candidates.
Trump asks federal court to hear Bragg case weeks before verdict
In arguing for not prosecuting the charges, Ms. Blanche argued that Mr. Bragg had presented evidence of his official conduct during the unprecedented six-week criminal trial, which she said included official communications with White House staffers Hope Hicks, Madeleine Westerhout and others.
of The Supreme Court has ruled in the case of Trump v. United States. The Supreme Court ruled that former presidents are effectively immune from prosecution for official acts performed while in office, but not for unofficial acts. The Supreme Court found that Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for “official acts,” but left it to lower courts to decide where the line is between official and unofficial acts.
