Trump fails again to move hush money case from New York to federal court

A federal judge has rejected Donald Trump's latest bid to transfer his New York hush money conviction to federal court. The ruling reaffirms that Trump's payoff to Stormy Daniels was not an official presidential act.

Federal judge blocks Trump's bid to shift hush money case

A federal judge has rejected Donald Trump's attempt to move his New York hush money criminal case to federal court, Google News MT reports, dealing the former and current president another legal setback in his long-running effort to have the conviction overturned or relocated.

The judge ruled that Trump's discussions about a payoff to adult film actress Stormy Daniels did not constitute an official presidential action — a key argument Trump's legal team had advanced to justify federal jurisdiction over the state-level case.

The decision marks at least the second time a federal judge has blocked this particular avenue of appeal. Trump had argued that the Supreme Court's 2024 ruling on presidential immunity opened a path to transfer the case out of New York state courts, where he was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Prosecutors had charged Trump with concealing reimbursement payments made to his then-attorney Michael Cohen, who had paid Daniels $130,000 shortly before the 2016 presidential election to secure her silence over an alleged sexual encounter Trump denies took place.

The ruling was reported simultaneously by CNBC, CNN, AP News, The Hill, and ABC News, indicating the decision carries significant weight across the broader legal proceedings Trump continues to face in multiple jurisdictions.

Trump's legal team has not yet publicly indicated whether they intend to pursue further appeals following the ruling.

Source: Google News MT