President Donald Trump has suffered another legal setback after a federal judge rejected his attempt to transfer his already-decided New York hush money criminal case from state court to federal court. The ruling keeps Trump’s challenge within the New York state court system as he continues efforts to overturn his historic criminal conviction.
Federal Judge Rejects Trump’s Latest Request
U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein ruled that Trump had failed to establish sufficient grounds to move the case to federal jurisdiction. The judge concluded that the conduct at the center of the case involved Trump’s personal actions rather than official presidential responsibilities.
The decision marked another rejection of Trump’s attempts to bring the New York criminal case into the federal court system. His legal team has indicated that it plans to challenge the latest ruling.
Presidential Immunity Argument Fails to Move Case
Trump’s legal strategy relied in part on arguments surrounding presidential immunity following a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling on immunity for official presidential acts.
However, Hellerstein determined that the conduct related to the hush money matter did not qualify as an official act of the presidency. The judge also found problems with the timing and legal basis of the effort to transfer the case.
Trump Continues Fight Against 2024 Conviction
A New York jury convicted Trump in May 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records connected to a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors said the payment was intended to prevent allegations of a past sexual encounter from affecting Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing and has continued challenging the conviction through multiple legal avenues. Although he received an unconditional discharge rather than jail time, the conviction remains in place while his appeals continue.
The latest ruling represents another obstacle in Trump’s long-running effort to overturn the conviction, with the legal battle now expected to continue through further appeals.
