US Justice Department backs Trump bid to move hush money case to federal court

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

US Justice Department backs Trump bid to move hush money case to federal court

Luc Cohen
Wed, March 26, 2025 at 4:07 PM EDT 3 min read

NEW YORK (Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday backed Donald Trump's bid to move his already-decided hush money criminal case to federal court, the second time in less than a week the department has moved to help the U.S. president in a personal legal matter.

Trump was convicted last year on charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of covering up a payment to a porn star for her silence about a sexual encounter she says she had with him, which he denies. A judge on Jan. 10 sentenced him to unconditional discharge - meaning no jail or any other punishment - paving the way for his inauguration 10 days later.

He pleaded not guilty and is appealing his conviction in the first-ever criminal trial of a sitting or former U.S. president.

Trump is still trying to move the case to federal court, where he could seek to have it dismissed altogether on the basis that jurors at his trial saw evidence of acts from his first term as president. The U.S. Supreme Court last July found that U.S. presidents have broad immunity from prosecution over official acts.

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Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-justice-department-backs-trump-200731855.html

[intheflow]

1. Paying a porn star to keep quiet doesn't fall under an official act.

I mean, Alito and Thomas will swear that it does, but I honestly doubt the others will extend the courtesy to him. Not after the way he's been attacking, threatening, and ignoring lower court rulings.

[FakeNoose]

2. He wasn't president when he did it, so the ruse of "presidential immunity" doesn't mean shit

SCOTUS will have to keep their greasy paws off of this one