Donald Trump’s hush money case may be frozen while he is president, New York prosecutors have suggested.
In a court filing on Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said they would not approve of dismissing the case, after Mr Trump’s team argued it should be dropped in light of his re-election.
However, “given the need to balance competing constitutional interests,” prosecutors said “consideration must be given” to potentially freezing the case until the president-elect has completed his second term.
Mr Trump was convicted in May of falsifying business records to cover up a scheme to influence the 2016 election by paying porn actress Stormy Daniels to stay silent on claims that she had slept with him.
The president-elect, who was married at the time of the alleged encounter, says they did not have sex and denies any wrongdoing.
His sentencing had been set for Nov 26, but was postponed.
‘Obligations of the presidency’
Following Mr Trump’s election win, his lawyers urged Judge Juan M Merchan to throw out the case.
His lawyers said that it must be scrapped “to facilitate the orderly transition of executive power — and in the interests of justice.”
Manhattan prosecutors said on Tuesday they “are mindful of the demands and obligations of the presidency” and realise that Trump’s return to the White House “will raise unprecedented legal questions”.
“We also deeply respect the fundamental role of the jury in our constitutional system,” they added.
No decision has yet been made, and Judge Merchan has not said when he will rule.
However, incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung said the filing was “a total and definitive victory for President Trump” in a case that he has long deplored as a “witch hunt”.
“President Trump’s legal team is moving to get it dismissed once and for all,” Mr Cheung said in a statement.
Mr Trump has pledged to appeal the verdict if the case is not dismissed.
He has decried the hush money verdict as a “rigged, disgraceful” result.
He has claimed, without evidence, that the case brought by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg was part of a Democrat-led “witch hunt” meant to harm his presidential campaign.