President-elect Donald Trump has filed a motion to halt his scheduled sentencing in the hush money trial set for January 10, calling the proceedings unlawful. In a statement released on Monday, Trump’s spokesperson and incoming White House communications director, Steven Cheung, criticized the case as part of a political “witch hunt.”
Cheung argued that the sentencing should be blocked based on a Supreme Court decision regarding immunity, the New York state constitution, and established legal precedents. “This meritless hoax should be immediately dismissed,” Cheung said, adding that the American people elected Trump with a clear mandate to end what he called the “political weaponization of our justice system.”
Trump is set to be sentenced on January 10 at 9:30 a.m., just days before his upcoming presidential inauguration on January 20. The former president was found guilty in May 2024 of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment made to former adult film star Stormy Daniels, aimed at suppressing her claims of an affair with Trump during the 2006 election cycle.
Despite the conviction, Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing, labeling the case as politically motivated. Trump’s legal team is now seeking to have the charges dismissed before his upcoming sentencing.