Top Republicans are developing “contingency” plans in case former President Donald Trump is jailed after his sentencing next month, officials and insiders said.
Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts stemming from his involvement in paying hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels and is scheduled to be sentenced by Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Marchan on July 11.
Marchant could impose a range of penalties against the Republican front-runner, including prison time.
The Republican Convention in Milwaukee is scheduled to begin on July 15th.
“That question was asked by a donor at a dinner I attended, and RNC staff said there was a contingency plan in place,” one Trump fundraiser said, adding that party officials declined to provide details at the time. “My understanding is that Trump [accept the nomination] From anywhere. Does he need to be there physically? I don’t think so.”
One recently retired Republican National Committee official told The Washington Post, “My suspicion is that if the guy was actually in jail, who knows, but I think they would probably have him videotape something beforehand just to be safe.”
One New York Republican representative said there had been discussion about possibly moving the convention forward.
The idea is being discussed as a possible emergency measure. The provision was included in tournament rules adopted in November 2023 as Trump’s trial loomed.
Trump does not have to physically attend the convention to accept the nomination, according to multiple sources.
“We have to be prepared for anything,” said Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump. Last week on CNN“Whether it’s from Trump Tower in Manhattan, or from Mar-a-Lago, or from our convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we will nominate Donald Trump as the nominee of the Republican Party. That’s all that matters in the end.”
Trump’s advanced age and lack of a criminal record have meant that a prison sentence is unlikely, but legal experts close to him say it’s not as unlikely as people think.
What happens after Trump is convicted in hush money case
- Donald Trump, who was found guilty on all 34 charges, will remain free until his scheduled sentencing on the morning of July 11th.
- The former president will not be subject to travel restrictions until the verdict is reached.
- Trump’s lawyers said they plan to appeal the ruling “as soon as possible.”
- If Trump loses his appeal at the intermediate appeals court, he will likely ask the state Supreme Court to review the case, which could take another year.
Here you can read more about what will happen after the historic conviction and what Trump may face going forward.
Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, was sentenced by Marchant Court in January 2023 to five months in Rikers Island after pleading guilty to a string of fraud and tax evasion charges. Weisselberg, 76, also had no criminal history.
According to a person close to Weisselberg, Marchant made it clear that things would have been much worse if the defendants had not pleaded guilty and forced the jury to reach a verdict, as Trump did.
Weiselberg was handcuffed and taken into custody on the day of his sentencing.
Follow the latest on Donald Trump’s guilty verdict in hush money trial
“If the DA’s office wants me to go to jail, Marchan will say I’m going to jail,” a source in the Weisselberg case said.
A representative for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to speculate on sentencing.
“I’ve watched this trial in court and there’s nothing really surprising about it,” George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley told The Post.
If Trump is detained on July 11, his legal team could file an emergency appeal with the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, which could decide to release him, but he would have to spend at least a few hours in jail before that happens.
Representatives for the Trump campaign have rejected speculation and insisted that Mr. Trump will attend the convention in person. Spokesman Steven Chang said, “Nothing will stop President Trump from accepting the nomination in Milwaukee as scheduled.”
