Supreme Court Declines to Delay Trump’s Hush-Money

In an unexpected decision, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court has chosen not to intervene in former President Donald Trump’s legal battles. On Monday, the high court declined to postpone Trump’s sentencing in the hush-money trial, following an unsuccessful attempt by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to sue the state of New York to delay the proceedings. Bailey also sought to lift Trump’s gag order, arguing it violated the First Amendment rights of voters who could not hear from the former president, now a convicted felon.

The case, widely seen as a long shot, still surprised many observers, given the Supreme Court’s recent decisions that seemed to favor Trump, including granting him near-total immunity last month. The Supreme Court did not comment on its decision to reject the appeal.

Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18, and the gag order will remain in effect until then. In her brief, New York Attorney General Letitia James argued against Bailey’s suit, stating, “Allowing Missouri to file this suit for such relief against New York would permit an extraordinary and dangerous end-run around former President Trump’s ongoing state court proceedings.”

Despite its slim chances of success, Bailey’s case carried potential implications. Had the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Trump, it could have set a concerning precedent, allowing states to intervene in pending criminal cases in other jurisdictions.

Bailey has labeled the New York trial a “political witch hunt,” claiming it was “replete with legal error from the beginning.” On Monday, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to assert his determination to continue the fight, accusing Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice of coordinating “illicit prosecutions” against Trump.

As the legal battles continue, the Supreme Court’s decision marks a significant moment in the ongoing saga of Trump’s legal challenges. The implications of this decision will likely reverberate through both legal and political spheres in the coming months.