Trump urges federal court to throw out hush money verdict in last-ditch attempt to avoid sentence

Donald Trump is asking a federal court to intervene in his hush money case in New York in the hopes of overturning his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, or delaying a sentencing date scheduled for September.

Trump’s lawyers pleaded with a federal judge late on Thursday night to remove the case from Justice Juan Merchan, arguing that the case and evidence against him should be tossed out under the Supreme Court’s“immunity” ruling.

The case should instead be moved to an “unbiased forum, free from local hostilities,” where Trump’s attorneys will try to get his conviction overturned, they wrote in court filings.

Keeping the case in state court will “continue to cause direct and irreparable harm” to the Republican presidential candidate and his “groundbreaking” campaign, according to lawyers Emil Bove and Todd Blanche.

The filing also raises other grievances and allegations aimed at Judge Merchan and District Attorney Alvin Bragg that were dismissed in several courts.

“These ongoing harms must be stopped,” attorneys wrote.

“The impending election cannot be redone,” they added. “The currently unaddressed harm to the Presidency resulting from this improper prosecution will adversely impact the operations of the federal government for generations.”

If the motion is allowed to proceed, Judge Merchan may not be able to keep Trump’s sentencing date on the calendar.

On May 30, a Manhattan jury found the former president guilty on all counts of falsifying business records in connection with a scheme to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election by concealing hush money payments to an adult film star whose story about having sex with Trump threatened to derail his campaign.

Judge Merchan is