On Thursday, former President Donald Trump filed a motion with a federal court in Manhattan, asking to postpone his criminal sentencing scheduled for September 18 relating to the hush money case and requesting that the federal court take over the matter.

Should the federal court agree, Trump is also requesting a timeline to submit a motion aimed at overturning the 34 guilty charges against him and dismissing the case entirely. A jury in Manhattan unanimously determined on May 30 that Trump had falsified business records 34 times to hide a sex scandal and illegally interfere with the 2016 presidential election.

In his filing, Trump accused Judge Juan Merchan, who has overseen the case, of partiality, asserting that the sentencing could result in his “immediate and unconstitutional imprisonment,” jeopardizing his ongoing presidential campaign.

“The removal of this case to federal court is essential in order to provide President Trump with a fair hearing, free from the local biases that may affect the outcome,” the filing states.

The Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, which is handling the prosecution, refrained from making any comments on the situation.

Judge Merchan is expected to make a decision by September 16 regarding Trump’s bid to overturn the guilty verdicts, citing his claim that evidence used during the trial conflicted with a recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. Trump’s sentencing is set for two days later, unless the judge rules in his favor or postpones the sentencing.

Bragg’s office has not commented on Trump’s additional request to delay sentencing until after the upcoming presidential election. They argued that Trump shouldn’t be able to prolong his appeal regarding the immunity claim before his sentencing, although an appellate court might choose to intervene, causing potential disruptions to security and court arrangements for the sentencing event.

This legal case revolves around a $130,000 hush money payment that Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, made to adult film star Stormy Daniels just days prior to the 2016 election. Prosecutors claimed the payment aimed to prevent the public from discovering Daniels’ account of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, shortly after Melania Trump gave birth to their son, Barron. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and claims the encounter never occurred.