Trump makes 12th request to delay hush-money case, asking that sentencing happen after the election

• As a September 18 sentencing looms, Trump on Thursday filed his 12th hush-money delay request.
• He cites a pending immunity decision and the judge's daughter's work for Democratic candidates.

Lawyers for Donald Trump on Thursday filed their 12th hush-money delay request, this time asking to delay his September 18 sentencing until after Election Day.

The two-page request came just days after the judge in the case rejected the defense team's third request that he recuse himself from the case and criticized Trump for repeating failed legal efforts.

Thursday's defense adjournment motion to New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan — the Manhattan judge who has presided over the case since the GOP presidential candidate's March, 2023 indictment — again repeated previously failed arguments.

It argues that sentencing should be delayed because the judge has a major decision pending on September 16 on whether the case should be tossed in its entirety due to Trump's newly-bestowed immunity from prosecutions based on official acts.

The motion also repeats an argument rejected by the judge Wednesday, when he declined to recuse himself (for a third time) because his daughter has worked as a political consultant for Democratic candidates, including years ago for presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

"There is no valid countervailing reason for the court to keep the current sentencing date on the calendar," reads the motion, signed by Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove.

"There is no basis for continuing to rush. Accordingly, we respectfully request that any sentencing, if one is needed, be adjourned until after the Presidential election," it continued.