A federal judge rejected Donald Trump’s attempt to transfer his hush money criminal case from New York state court to federal court. US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein determined that the allegations in the Manhattan case were personal in nature and not related to Trump’s presidential duties, thus not warranting a move to federal court. Hellerstein stated that the evidence overwhelmingly supported the notion that the matter was solely a personal matter for the former president, as it involved a cover-up of an embarrassing event. He emphasized that hush money paid to an adult film star did not pertain to Trump’s official acts as President.
With this decision, Trump is now likely to face trial in state court in Manhattan, potentially as early as next spring. The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the hush money case, expressed satisfaction with Hellerstein’s ruling. Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, declined to comment. It is possible to appeal the ruling to the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals. Hellerstein had already indicated his inclination towards this decision during a hearing on June 27, where he expressed skepticism towards the defense’s argument that the alleged conduct related to the “color of his office” as president.
In his 25-page ruling, Judge Hellerstein found strong evidence supporting the prosecution’s claim that the money paid to Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, was a reimbursement for hush money. Trump had pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in state court on April 4. These charges were a result of his involvement in the payment of $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had a sexual encounter with Trump years ago. Cohen had also arranged for the National Enquirer to pay Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 for the rights to her story about an alleged affair, which was then suppressed by the tabloid. Trump denies any sexual encounters with either woman, and his legal team argues that the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses, not part of a cover-up.
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