US Judge Denies Trump's Request to Move Hush-Money Case to Federal Court

United States President Donald Trump has lost a bid to transfer his criminal hush-money case from state to federal court. On Friday, Judge Alvin Hellerstein declined Trump's petition for a third time, stating that the president's arguments were 'neither new nor legally sufficient.' Trump was convicted in 2024 by a New York City jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors argued that Trump attempted to conceal hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to avoid negative attention during his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump contends that his conviction should be overturned based on a 2024 Supreme Court decision that expanded presidential immunity, but Hellerstein rejected this argument, stating, 'Paying hush money to an adult film star or engaging in a cover-up of an embarrassment are not subsumed in presidential immunity.' Trump's legal team has announced plans to appeal, calling Hellerstein's judgment 'baseless and lawless.' The case involves a $130,000 payment allegedly made by Trump through his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to silence Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with Trump while he was married. Falsifying business records is typically a misdemeanor in New York but can be charged as a felony if committed in service of another crime. Prosecutors claimed Trump sought to unlawfully influence the 2016 election. The New York indictment was one of four Trump faced in 2023, with the other cases involving allegations of illegally withholding classified documents and attempting to undermine the 2020 elections. Only the New York case reached trial, resulting in a conviction but no jail time or financial penalty for Trump. Hellerstein has previously rejected Trump's arguments regarding presidential immunity, and the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Hellerstein to reconsider the case in light of the Supreme Court's decision, without instructing him on how to rule. In his latest decision, Hellerstein stated that Trump's actions concerning Daniels were not 'official acts' of the presidency. He emphasized that discussions about hush money payments to cover up personal relations do not fall within the 'outer perimeter' of presidential responsibilities.