The Supreme Court rejected on Monday an effort to freeze sentencing and a gag order in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s hush-money case against Donald Trump until after the November election in which the former president is seeking another term in the White House.
Missouri‘s GOP attorney general, Andrew Bailey, petitioned the high court in July, raising concerns about his constituents not being able to participate in a contest “free from New York’s exercise of coercive power limiting the ability of Trump to campaign.” New York fought back.
The Supreme Court said Missouri’s bill of complaint was “denied” and its motion for preliminary relief or a stay was “dismissed as moot.” Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito “would grant the motion for leave to file the bill of complaint but would not grant other relief,” the order added.
“It’s disappointing that the Supreme Court refused to exercise its constitutional responsibility to resolve state v. state disputes,” Bailey saidon X. He added he would “continue to prosecute our lawsuit” against the Justice Department for alleged coordination of “illicit prosecutions” against Trump.
In late May, a jury convicted Trump of falsifying business records to allegedly cover up a tryst with adult film star Stormy Daniels for a “catch-and-kill” scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election. Trump denied the affair and had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Judge Juan Merchan initially picked a July 11 date for sentencing, but approved a delay until at least mid-September while he considers whether an immunity ruling by the Supreme Court could have a bearing on the case. A decision is reportedly expected on September 6.
Meanwhile, Trump has appealed a gag order in the case. Merchan did remove limits on what Trump could say about trial witnesses and the jury after the verdict in late May, but kept restraints on comments about court staff, Bragg’s staff, and family members of court staff and prosecutors.
A panel of the mid-level state Appellate Division disagreed with Trump’s contention that the conclusion of the trial resulted in a “change in circumstances” warranting an end to the entire gag order and denied the appeal.
Bragg’s team made submissions that demonstrated “threats received by District Attorney staff after the jury verdict continued to pose a significant and imminent threat,” the appeals court decision last Thursday noted.
Despite multiple setbacks, a spokesperson for Trump’s 2024 campaign said the former president “continues to forcefully challenge” the “decision to leave in place portions of the unconstitutional Gag Order,” according to a statement reported by ABC News.
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