Judge Rejects Trump’s 3rd Bid to Move $130,000 Hush-Money Case to Federal Court
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 28
Judge Rejects Trump’s 3rd Bid to Move $130,000 Hush-Money Case to Federal Court
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 28
Summary
Judge Alvin Hellerstein on Friday denied Donald Trump’s third attempt to shift his New York hush-money case into federal court, a move aimed at wiping out his felony conviction.
Hellerstein said Trump’s arguments were “neither new nor legally sufficient” and ruled that hush-money payments and any cover-up involving Stormy Daniels were private conduct, not protected presidential “official acts.”
Trump’s lawyers said they will appeal, arguing the case should be thrown out under the Supreme Court’s 2024 immunity ruling that broadened protection for presidents’ official conduct.
The case stems from a $130,000 payment arranged through Michael Cohen; a 2024 jury convicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records, and he later received an unconditional discharge that left the conviction intact.