New York Judge, Juan Merchan has ruled that President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction is valid.
The judge rejected Trump’s argument that it should be dismissed in the wake of a landmark immunity ruling from the US Supreme Court.
The ruling comes after Trump and his lawyers requested Merchan overturn his guilty verdict in New York v. Trump, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling that presidents have immunity for official acts.
The Supreme Court in the U.S. had in July ruled that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for “official actions” they take while in office. However, Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial, sided with prosecutors. He said that the convictions on 34 felony counts centred on unofficial conduct.
This decision now preserves Trump’s historic conviction which, if upheld, would make Trump the first felon to serve in the White House.
Recall that a New York jury had in May 2024 found Trump guilty of falsifying business records. The conviction stemmed from Trump’s attempt to cover up reimbursements to his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Cohen in 2016 paid off an adult film star to remain silent about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
Trump has denied all wrongdoing.
But in his 41-page ruling, Justice Merchan pushed back on Trump’s argument that the government’s case relied on evidence related to his official work as president, which would be covered by immunity.
The evidence shown at trial pertained “entirely to unofficial conduct,” he wrote.
The judge noted that in its own ruling, the Supreme Court had found that not everything the president does is official, even if done from the Oval Office.
Reacting to the development, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung, in a statement to US media, criticised the ruling, calling it a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s decision on immunity.
“This lawless case should have never been brought, and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed,” Cheung said