Judge Merchan and Alvin Bragg must end the Trump hush-money case witch hunt — for the good of the country

Judge Juan Merchan and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg just can’t give up their lawfare against President-elect Donald Trump.

Merchan on Friday punted yet again on the question of just how he’s going to handle the Trump conviction, after a Tuesday filing from Bragg suggested — incredibly — that the judge delay sentencing until after Trump’s term ends.

The judge has now ordered Trump’s legal team and Bragg to file arguments in December on whether the case should be tossed. 

Unacceptable. 

The election was weeks ago. Merchan should have made up his mind to do the right thing well before that and done it instantly. 

And Bragg should have been laughed out of court Tuesday when he proposed his nonsensical, banana-republic idea. 

Holding the possibility of sentencing over the head of Trump for the next four years would be utterly despicable. 

And — as Trump’s legal team correctly argues — moving ahead with the case would both imperil an orderly presidential transition and be totally destabilizing to the country.

That the case itself is specious only heightens the offense here. 

Look: The root “crimes” here were a few internal bookkeeping entries that at most would be misdemeanor offenses on which the statue of limitations long expired.

Bragg argued — insanely — that these 2017 business records became felonies because they involved Trump trying to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. 

Merchan, who is so Dem-partisan even lefty commentators called him out on it, greased the path for a conviction along those Kafkaesque lines, even instructing jurors that they could individually decide to believe any of three different theories about the time-traveling “crime.” 

It was a political prosecution, pure and simple, abetted by judicial errors that should see the case overturned on appeal — except that Trump can’t appeal until (and unless) Merchan sentences him. 

It was meant to hobble Trump as he ran for office by dragging him back to New York for hearings and to damage his reputation with the public. 

It failed at that; indeed, the guilty verdict drove almost $35 million in small-dollar donations for Trump. 

Then he went on to win the election — convincingly. 

Set aside all the damage keeping the case in limbo does to the norms Dems like Merchan endlessly scream about: How does it serve the cause of justice?

We’re hoping Merchan realizes this farce needs to end, and is just seeking the most face-saving excuse and/or lowest-profile moment to pull the plug.

But maybe both the judge and the DA are trying to squeeze every last bit of fun from the power and prestige they’ve been enjoying.

Lawfare is a powerful drug. It’s time Merchan and Bragg went cold turkey.