Judge Rejects Trump’s Bid to Overturn Hush Money Conviction, Citing Presidential Immunity Ruling
NEW YORK – A New York judge on Monday ruled that former President Donald Trump’s felony conviction in the hush money case should not be dismissed, rejecting arguments that the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity applies to his case.
In a 41-page decision, Judge Juan Merchan dismissed the claim from Trump’s legal team that his May guilty verdict on 34 counts of falsifying business records should be overturned on immunity grounds. The ruling dealt a blow to one of several legal strategies pursued by Trump’s attorneys to dismiss his conviction.
Merchan clarified that the Supreme Court’s recent decision granting broad immunity to Trump for official acts during his presidency had no bearing on the Manhattan District Attorney’s case. He emphasized that the evidence presented against Trump was unrelated to his official conduct as president.
The judge did not rule on a separate motion filed by Trump’s lawyers seeking to overturn the conviction on the grounds that Trump has now been re-elected president, indicating that issue remains unresolved.
The May conviction stemmed from allegations that Trump falsified records to conceal hush money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign, a case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and accused prosecutors of political bias.
This ruling marks another legal hurdle for Trump as he confronts multiple criminal cases while preparing to assume office in January.