The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey seeking to lift a gag order and delay Donald Trump's sentencing on multiple convictions in his New York City hush money trial. Bailey said in a statement that New York's "illicit prosecution" has undermined the Republican candidate's ability to run for president.
Bailey filed the suit in July, arguing that the state of New York violated "Missourians' First Amendment right to hear from a presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election."
The lawsuit adds that the state's "overt meddling in a presidential election sabotages Missourians' ability to hear from and cast a fully-informed vote for president mere months before the election."
New York argued the lawsuit was flawed and that Missouri did not suffer sufficient injury that would give it standing to sue. New York's solicitor general wrote in a brief that allowing the suit to go forward would "permit an extraordinary and dangerous end-run around former President Trump's ongoing state court proceedings and the statutory limitations on this Court's jurisdiction to review state court decisions."
The Supreme Court denied the request without outlining its reasoning, writing, "Missouri's motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied, and its motion for preliminary relief or a stay is dismissed as moot."
Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said they would "grant the motion for leave to file the bill of complaint but would not grant other relief.
A Manhattan jury convicted Trump in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with money sent to porn actor Stormy Daniels. Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen sent Daniels $130,000 to stay quiet about an alleged affair she had with the former president.
Trump denies any affair and has said he will appeal the convictions. His sentencing is set for September 18.
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