Trump Hush Money Case: Judge Rules To Keep Trial in New York, Rejecting Former President's Bid

A judge has rejected former United States President Donald Trump's bid to move his hush-money case out of New York and into federal court.

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein made the decision on Wednesday, who previously suggested in a hearing last month that he was predisposed against moving the controversial case. The issue was brought up by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's prosecutors.

Trump's Hush Money Case

They charged the Republican businessman with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records stemming from a supposed hush payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

On the other hand, the former president's lawyers argued that the case should be heard in federal court because it was related to actions that Trump engaged in while he was president. However, Hellerstein's Wednesday order echoed his contention that Trump's lawyers failed to show that the behavior in question was related to the office of the presidency, as per the New York Times.

The judge added that the evidence overwhelmingly suggested that the matter involved something personal to Trump and called it a "cover-up of an embarrassing event." Hellerstein concluded in his order that the hush money paid to the adult film star was not related to a president's official acts and did not reflect in any way the color of the president's official duties.

On the other hand, a spokeswoman for Bragg said they welcomed the judge's decision to reject Trump's request and added that they look forward to proceeding with the case in New York State Supreme Court.

The Republican businessman's attempt to move the case to federal court was considered by many as unlikely to be granted. But the judge's latest ruling is still considered a victory for the Manhattan district attorney.

The basis of the case revolves around the mischaracterization of payments made by Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, to his then-personal attorney Michael Cohen. According to CNBC, the former president said that the payments were for legal services but were later found to reimburse Cohen for a $130,000 payment made to Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

Former President's Legal Woes

Cohen's payment to the adult film star was supposed to keep her quiet regarding her claim of having had sex with the former president a decade earlier. It was a time months before Melania Trump gave birth to Barron Trump. However, the Republican businessman has repeatedly denied having sex with Daniels.

A spokesman for Trump's campaign released a statement saying that Bragg was abusing his power in an attempt to help President Joe Biden and his presidential campaign. He added that Democrats have weaponized the country's judicial system to damage their political opposition.

The situation comes amid another legal loss for the former president after he was denied a request for a retrial in a civil sexual assault that he lost in May. The ruling paves the way for author and advice columnist E. Jean Carroll to collect a $5 million judgment for defamation and battery caused by sexual abuse if the verdict stands on appeal, said the Washington Post.