Judge Juan Merchan has decided to push back the sentencing for former President Trump in the New York v. Trump case until after the November 2024 election.

The new sentencing date is set for November 26, with the original date having been scheduled for September 18, as reported by Fox News.

Merchan explained the delay in a letter, stating, “The public’s confidence in the integrity of our judicial system demands a sentencing hearing focused solely on the verdict of the jury and the weighing of aggravating and mitigating factors, free from distraction or distortion.”

BREAKING: Judge Merchan delays Trump hush money trial sentencing to after the election on, November 26th:pic.twitter.com/rMYhz0Xn0w

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 6, 2024

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He added that the complexities surrounding this time made it difficult to proceed as originally planned. To avoid any appearance of influence by the upcoming presidential election, Merchan adjourned the sentencing date.

Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree following a six-week trial initiated by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Trump’s team requested the sentencing be delayed, arguing that the initial date seemed too close to the presidential election. The trial and its consequences have stirred political and legal debates, with Trump’s camp framing the entire ordeal as politically motivated.

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, echoed this sentiment, calling the case part of a broader “Election Interference Witch Hunt.”

He also cited what he called a series of “Harris-Biden Hoaxes,” referencing past legal challenges Trump has faced. Cheung insisted that all cases, including this one, should be dismissed, citing a U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

Initially, Trump’s sentencing was set for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention, where he would be officially nominated as the GOP’s 2024 presidential candidate. However, his legal team successfully requested a delay until September 18, and now, further until after the election.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche has appealed the verdict, asserting that the decision should be overturned, citing presidential immunity. Blanche pointed to Merchan’s daughter’s employment at Authentic Campaigns, a company known to work with top Democratic candidates, as a conflict of interest. Additionally, he criticized Bragg’s use of White House communications as evidence.

Meanwhile, U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied a federal request from Trump to seize the case from New York, maintaining that payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels were not official presidential acts.

Hellerstein upheld his previous ruling, stating that Trump’s hush money payments were personal matters unrelated to his role as president.