Federal Judge Rejects Trump's Request to Intervene in Hush Money Case

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A federal judge on Tuesday denied Donald Trump’s attempt to have his New York hush money criminal case moved to federal court, blocking the former president’s efforts to overturn his felony conviction and delay his sentencing. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that Trump did not meet the burden of proof required for federal intervention.

This decision follows objections from Manhattan prosecutors, who argued that there was no legal reason to delay post-trial decisions while Trump sought federal court involvement. They urged state court Judge Juan M. Merchan to proceed with rulings on Trump’s requests to delay sentencing and dismiss the case.

Merchan is expected to rule on Trump’s motion to overturn the verdict on September 16, with a decision on sentencing to follow. Trump, convicted in May of 34 felonies related to falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, has denied wrongdoing. His legal team argues that immediate sentencing could interfere with the upcoming election, suggesting it might be perceived as election interference. Prosecutors, however, are open to a schedule that allows adequate time for legal motions without unreasonable delay.