A judge has refused former President Trump’s bid to transfer his New York hush money criminal case from state court to federal court, referencing a U.S. Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity.
U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein stated that the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity does not change his perspective that private payments to an adult film star are unrelated to a president’s official duties.
Hellerstein had earlier declared that Trump’s reimbursement to Michael Cohen, his ex-lawyer who arranged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, did not constitute official presidential acts.
“My ruling on the hush money reimbursement stands, irrespective of who bears the burden, whether it is the People or Mr. Trump,” Hellerstein wrote in his decision. “The Supreme Court’s decision does not impact my earlier conclusion that the hush money payments were private and unofficial, beyond the scope of executive authority.”
The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision limits prosecutors from using official acts as evidence that a president’s unofficial actions were illegal. Trump’s lawyers argued that the jury in the hush money case should not have heard testimony from former White House staffers about the then-president’s reaction to media coverage of the Daniels deal.
In May, Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a 2016 agreement to pay Daniels to remain silent about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter. Prosecutors argued the payment aimed to prevent voters from hearing damaging stories during his first presidential campaign.
Trump has denied the allegations, describing his prosecution as a politically motivated effort to harm his current presidential run.
“There should be no sentencing in this Election Interference Witch Hunt. As mandated by the United States Supreme Court, this case, along with all of the other Harris-Biden Hoaxes, should be dismissed,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement.
“President Trump and his legal team will continue to fight to move this Hoax into federal court where it should be dismissed.”
Trump has also accused New York Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case, of bias, citing a conflict of interest linked to Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, who has supported Democratic political candidates.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sent a letter to Merchan on 30 August, suggesting that Trump’s request to transfer the case to federal court should be postponed until after the judge rules on the motion to vacate due to presidential immunity and the request to delay sentencing.
“We note that the concerns defendant expresses about timing are a function of his own strategic and dilatory litigation tactics,” the letter states.
Merchan is expected to rule on the motion on 16 September.
What Other Media Are Saying
- NBC News reports that New York prosecutors are urging a judge to reject Donald Trump’s last-minute bid to transfer his hush money case to federal court, citing strategic litigation tactics and the minimal impact of a recent Supreme Court ruling. (read more)
- PBS NewsHour reports that U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein has rejected Donald Trump’s request to intervene in his New York hush money criminal case, upholding the conviction and thwarting Trump’s bid to delay sentencing. (read more)
- VOA News reports that a federal judge has rejected Donald Trump’s request to intervene in his New York hush money criminal case, leaving the case in state court for sentencing on September 18. (read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
Why did the judge deny Trump’s request to move his case to federal court?
The judge cited that private payments to an adult film star are not related to official presidential acts.
What was Trump’s case about?
Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a 2016 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.
What did the Supreme Court’s 2023 immunity decision state?
The decision restricts prosecutors from using official acts as evidence that a president’s unofficial actions were illegal.
What is Trump’s legal team’s argument regarding the case?
They argue that jurors should not have heard evidence about his reactions to news of the Daniels deal.
What has Trump claimed about the judge in New York?
Trump has accused Judge Juan Merchan of having a conflict of interest and being biased against him.