In another setback for Donald Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday decisively rejected Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s audacious attempt to block the former president’s sentencing in the New York hush money case. This latest failure underscores Trump’s continuing legal misfortunes and his increasingly desperate gambits to evade justice.
The Court issued a terse two-sentence order, firmly denying Missouri’s motion for leave to file a bill of complaint and dismissing the state’s request for preliminary relief or a stay as moot. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas were the only ones willing to entertain even a partial consideration of the motion but were unwilling to grant any actual relief.
The case in question involves Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records by a New York jury in May. The charges relate to hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to silence claims of an affair ahead of the 2016 election—a scandal Trump vehemently denies. Despite his intention to appeal, this latest legal defeat only adds to his mounting challenges.
In an unprecedented move, Missouri’s AG sought to insert the state into Trump’s legal quagmire by requesting permission to file an “original appeal”—a procedure typically reserved for disputes like water rights between states. This unusual legal maneuver was criticized by Georgetown Law professor Stephen Vladeck as “frankly, ridiculous,” reflecting the growing skepticism about Trump’s legal strategies.
New York officials blasted Missouri’s intervention as “bad faith” and a dangerous precedent for unfounded lawsuits. They argued that the issues raised by Missouri were already being addressed by New York state courts and that the state’s claims were speculative and lacked legal standing.
The Supreme Court’s dismissal is a clear message of reluctance to intervene in state criminal matters, especially those involving non-existent interstate disputes. This decision ensures that Trump’s sentencing will proceed as scheduled on September 18, with the gag order preventing him from discussing the case publicly, including any remarks about prosecutors and court staff.
Trump’s mounting legal setbacks, marked by this latest rejection, highlight an unrelenting pattern of losing streaks in court. As his legal battles continue, the former president faces increasing challenges in his attempts to delay or derail the justice system’s efforts to hold him accountable.
