Trump tried to move the silent money case from New York to federal court, but a judge denied his request.
Trump “has not demonstrated that the conduct charged in the indictment is for or related to any act done by or for the president,” U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said in his ruling on Wednesday.
Hellerstein held a nearly three-hour hearing last month in which he expressed skepticism about Trump’s argument that he made payments to a porn star in his capacity as president. Trump argued the case belonged in federal court because the alleged crimes took place while he was in office and immune from prosecution. The federal court could have provided a more favorable framework for his defense.
Trump wants the trial to take place outside New York because he is more likely to be convicted of the crime of falsifying business documents related to his silent money payments made to Stormy Daniels to cover up his affair during the presidential campaign of 2016.
It is often overlooked that Manhattan prosecutors allege Trump falsified business records as part of a plot to undermine the 2016 election.
The loss in federal court was Trump’s second legal loss today. The former president also lost his bid for a new trial in the defamation case of E. John Carroll.
Trump continues to lose and with a Georgia and possible second federal indictments looming, things can only get worse.
Jason is the editor. He is also a member of the White House press pool and a congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason holds a bachelor’s degree in political science. His graduate studies focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association
