Trump Seeks Federal Venue for Hush Money Case

Former President Donald Trump's legal team is making another attempt to transfer his New York criminal case, involving 34 counts of falsifying business records, to federal court. This follows a previous rejection by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who ruled that the hush-money payments were private acts, not covered by presidential immunity. Trump's lawyers argue that the case involves complex issues related to presidential immunity, the Supremacy Clause, and federal-officer removal, claiming that the prosecution is politically motivated. They assert that the use of official acts as evidence violates the presidential immunity doctrine and that the federal court is the appropriate venue. The legal team has filed a 99-page appellate brief to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, maintaining that the rulings against them have misapplied precedent and statutory procedures. A decision on the appeal is not expected before Trump's sentencing on November 26.