Trump seeks to block New York ruling to request silence

Lawyers for the president-elect donald trump he tried to block his agenda judgment at the end of this week in a New York criminal silence money case, according to a new court motion.

Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchán in the motion made public Monday that they will appeal his ruling denying their efforts to dismiss the criminal case.

The motion argues that the appeal should automatically stay the sentencing, which is scheduled for Friday, and that if Merchan disagrees, he should grant Trump an immediate stay of that proceeding pending the outcome of the appeal. That appeal could take months to resolve.

Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in May, related to a hush money payment to a porn star in 2016 Stormy Daniel shortly before the presidential elections of that year.

Merchan said last week that he was not willing to sentence Trump to prison in the case, and also suggested he would impose a sentence that does not include probation or a fine.

The same day, Merchan rejected arguments that he should dismiss the case in light of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said presidents have presumptive immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts while serving in the White House, and because to the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution.

In a statement Monday, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said, “Today, President Trump’s legal team took action to stop the illegal sentencing in the Manhattan District Attorney’s witch hunt.”

“The Supreme Court’s landmark immunity decision, the New York State Constitution and other established legal precedents demand that this baseless hoax be immediately dismissed,” Cheung said.

Trump is scheduled to be sworn in as president for his second nonconsecutive term in the White House on Jan. 20.