House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is calling for the immediate end of the criminal cases opened against President-elect Donald Trump, citing his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday.
“The American people have spoken: the lawfare must end,” Scalise wrote in a post on X. “I call on Attorney General Garland, Alvin Bragg, and Fani Willis to immediately terminate the politically motivated prosecutions of President Donald Trump.”
KEY DATES FOR THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION
Scalise’s statement comes as Trump is involved in a handful of criminal cases, one of which he is scheduled for sentencing later this month.
Trump is scheduled to appear before New York Judge Juan Merchan on Nov. 26 to receive his sentence after being convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records, which came shortly after Michael Cohen testified before a grand jury last year detailing his 2018 conviction when he pleaded guilty to paying two women who accused Trump of sexual affairs to be silent, including porn star Stormy Daniels.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
It’s unclear whether Trump will receive sentencing in the case, especially after the Supreme Court ruled this summer that sitting presidents have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts that fall within their “exclusive sphere of constitutional authority.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Merchan could decide to dismiss Trump’s conviction, meaning he won’t be sentenced. If he decides to move forward with sentencing, Trump’s legal team is likely to ask for delayed sentencing so it can appeal the conviction.
Trump also faces other criminal charges, including two cases in Washington, D.C., and Georgia related to his actions during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The president-elect’s legal strategy has been to delay the trials until after he is inaugurated to the White House, after which Trump could dismiss the cases himself.