Manhattan prosecutors have taken a firm stand against Donald Trumpʼs efforts to dismiss his hush-money conviction‚ even as he prepares for his upcoming role as president-elect
The district attorneys office made it clear in their court-filing that being president-elect doesnt give immunity from criminal charges; they suggested some work-arounds for presidential duties instead of throwing out the jurys decision (which they called an extreme step)
The case centers on a $130‚000 pay-off made about 8 years ago to adult-film performer Stormy Daniels — money that went through Trumpʼs ex-lawyer Michael Cohen. Last spring‚ a jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts related to business records; this marked a first-ever criminal conviction for any U.S president
Justice Juan Merchan hasnt set a date for his decision yet‚ putting off the late-november sentencing to review the dismissal request. The prosecution team suggested waiting until Trumpʼs white-house term ends in ʼ29‚ but his lawyers called this idea silly — pointing out it would mean dealing with a case thats already been going for 6 years
Here are Trumpʼs other legal situations:
- A classified-docs case from his time after leaving office
- Two cases about the previous election results
- Both federal cases got dropped after his november win
The defense team argues that keeping this case active during his presidency would make it hard for him to do his job‚ but prosecutors say the evidence is too strong to just throw everything out