Attorneys representing former President Donald Trump have formally asked Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over Trump's trial on felony charges of falsifying business records, to postpone his sentencing until after the upcoming election. In a letter addressed to Judge Merchan, Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove argued that delaying the sentencing date would help maintain the integrity of future proceedings.

Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election. Originally scheduled for July 11, the sentencing date was moved to September 18 at Trump's request, allowing his attorneys time to present arguments related to a U.S. Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity that could potentially overturn the conviction.

However, the period between Judge Merchan's decision on immunity and the revised sentencing date was deemed too short by Trump's legal team. They expressed concerns that it would not give their client adequate time to file an appeal if the judge ruled against him. Blanche argued that "a single business day is an unreasonably short period of time" for the appeal process.

Apart from the timing issue, Trump's lawyers also requested that the Manhattan district attorney's office be prevented from submitting their sentencing recommendation while the immunity decision is still pending. They claimed that it would be personally and politically prejudicial to President Trump and his family, as well as harmful to the institution of the Presidency.

The letter also referenced Judge Merchan's recent denial of Trump's motion to recuse himself from the case, a motion that Trump's legal team filed due to an alleged conflict of interest. They argued that an adjournment of the sentencing would alleviate the conflicts and appearances of impropriety that were being investigated through a congressional inquiry.

Trump and his attorneys have previously asserted that Judge Merchan is conflicted due to his daughter's association with a company that conducted digital fundraising for Kamala Harris' presidential campaign during the 2020 election. However, this claim has been disputed by both Judge Merchan's representative and the company involved.

Judge Merchan, in his latest ruling rejecting Trump's request for recusal, emphasized that previous conflict allegations had already been denied by the courts. He stated that "innuendo and mischaracterizations do not a conflict create," reiterating his impartiality in the case.

To avoid further public commentary that may influence the proceedings, Judge Merchan has implemented a partial gag order, prohibiting Trump from publicly criticizing the judge's daughter, individual prosecutors, court staff, and their family members until after the sentencing. This order was issued in response to Trump's previous social media criticisms directed at the judge's daughter prior to the trial.

The former president, however, expressed his discontent with the gag order on social media platform Truth Social, claiming that it was "voter interference." He announced his intention to involve the U.S. Supreme Court, asserting that "New York is trying to steal the election!"

It is now up to Judge Merchan to consider Trump's lawyers' request for a sentencing delay and make a decision that upholds both the principles of justice and the integrity of the legal process.