A judge in Manhattan has rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s attempt to have his hush money conviction dismissed in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. The ruling by Judge Juan M. Merchan on Monday means that one potential avenue for dismissing the case has been closed, although Trump's legal team has put forward other arguments for dismissal.
Trump was convicted by a jury in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels in 2016. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in this matter.
The case revolves around allegations of a scheme to conceal the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels during the final stages of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, aimed at silencing her claims of a past sexual encounter with him.
Following the verdict, the Supreme Court issued a ruling stating that former presidents cannot be prosecuted for official acts carried out during their time in office. This decision also prohibits prosecutors from using such official actions to support a case focused on personal, unofficial conduct.
Trump's legal team argued that the hush money jury was presented with improper evidence, including Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from White House aides, and social media posts made while he was in office. However, prosecutors contended that this evidence was only a small part of their overall case.
While the judge's decision represents a setback for Trump, the future of the case remains uncertain as his lawyers continue to pursue avenues for dismissal. Prosecutors have acknowledged the upcoming start of Trump's presidency but maintain that the conviction should stand.
As Trump prepares to return to office on January 20, the legal battle surrounding his hush money conviction is likely to persist, with both sides presenting their arguments in the ongoing proceedings.
