Federal Judge Denies Trump’s Third Attempt to Dismiss Hush Money Conviction
POLICY WIRE — New York, USA — A federal judge has once again denied President Trump’s attempt to overturn his hush money conviction. U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein dismissed...
POLICY WIRE — New York, USA — A federal judge has once again denied President Trump’s attempt to overturn his hush money conviction. U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein dismissed Trump’s request to transfer the state court case to federal court and have it dismissed on presidential immunity grounds.
Judge Hellerstein stated that Trump’s reasons for renewing his request were “neither new nor legally sufficient,” especially his claims that testimony by former aides and a lawyer, along with his social media statements, infringe on presidential immunity.
“Paying hush money to an adult film star or engaging in a cover-up of an embarrassment are not subsumed in presidential immunity,” Hellerstein said, referring to the $130,000 payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels.
This marks the third time Hellerstein has blocked Trump from having the U.S. District Court in Manhattan take control of the case from the New York state court.
By Friday afternoon, Trump’s legal team had informed the lower court of their intention to appeal the ruling, describing it as “baseless and lawless.” They argued that the Supreme Court’s decision on immunity, along with other legal precedents, mandates the case be moved to federal court and dismissed.
Trump was convicted in 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for the $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels, who accused him of an extramarital affair. He received a sentence of unconditional discharge with no jail time or restrictions. Trump has denied both the affair and any wrongdoing related to the payment.
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Hellerstein previously rejected Trump’s requests to move the case twice, once after his March 2023 indictment and again after his trial. The 2nd Circuit ordered Hellerstein to reconsider his decision last November, but he ultimately ruled against Trump again.
The judge emphasized that discussions about hush money payments to cover up Trump’s relations with Daniels could not be considered official acts. He also criticized Trump’s legal team for their strategic decisions following the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
