Former President Trump’s legal team has requested that a federal court step in on Alvin Bragg’s “hush money” case, citing the recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity.
In July the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Trump has absolute immunity for his core Constitutional powers.
The so-called evidence Alvin Bragg used to indict Trump included acts during his time as president.
For example, Alvin Bragg alleged Trump invited National Inquirer CEO David Pecker to the White House in 2017 to thank him for not publishing harmful tabloid stories during the 2016 election.
Trump has petitioned a federal court to intervene, using the recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity as grounds to potentially overturn the verdict.
“In Thursday’s filing, Trump’s lawyers said moving the case to federal court following his May 30 conviction will give him an “unbiased forum, free from local hostilities” to address those issues. If the case is moved to federal court, Trump lawyers wrote, they will then seek to have the verdict overturned and the case dismissed.” AP reported.
“The ongoing proceedings will continue to cause direct and irreparable harm to President Trump — the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential election — and voters located far beyond Manhattan,” Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote, according to AP.
More from AP:
Donald Trump asked a federal court late Thursday to intervene in his hush money criminal case, seeking a pathway to overturn his conviction and indefinitely delay his sentencing scheduled for next month.
The former president’s lawyers asked the U.S. District Court in Manhattan to take control of the New York City criminal case, arguing that the state-level prosecution violated Trump’s constitutional rights and ran afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity.
Earlier this year, Trump was convicted on all 34 felony counts after being accused of arranging “hush payments” to adult film star Stormy Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford. The payments were made through his former attorney, Michael Cohen, as part of a scheme to silence Daniels and prevent the story of their alleged affair from being published in the National Enquirer.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged Trump committed fraud because the payment was labeled “legal fees.”
To make things worse, the hush money case was assigned to far-left conflicted judge Juan Merchan.
President Trump’s lawyers repeatedly called for Judge Merchan to recuse himself, citing conflicts of interest related to his daughter, Loren Merchan.
Loren Merchan’s political firm profited tens of millions of dollars from her father’s case against Trump.
Earlier this month Merchan rejected a recusal request for the third time in Trump’s “hush money” case.
Trump’s sentencing in the New York case is scheduled for September 18.
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