Trump's bid to move 'hush money' case to federal court fails

A federal judge has again rejected Donald Trump's effort to move his state-level 'hush money' case to federal court. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied Trump's request for a second notice of removal, stating that the transfer was not legally permissible at this stage.

The case centers on allegations that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made during the 2016 presidential election to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Daniels claimed she had an affair with Trump in 2006. The prosecution argued that the payment and subsequent efforts to disguise it as legal expenses amounted to 34 counts of falsifying business records.

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The grounds for the transfer request were neither new nor legally sufficient.

Trump's legal team sought the transfer to federal court, believing it could offer advantages related to presidential immunity. However, Judge Hellerstein ruled that such a transfer was impossible after a jury had already reached a guilty verdict, the initial sentencing had occurred, and an appeal had been filed in the state court.

The judge found the grounds for the transfer request to be neither new nor legally sufficient. He did, however, note that the core of the case, the alleged use of campaign funds to silence Daniels, was personal and unrelated to Trump's official duties as president. Trump's legal team has announced an immediate appeal of Hellerstein's decision.

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Presidential immunity is a historical ruling by the Supreme Court, federal and New York state constitutions, and other established legal precedents. The witch hunt committed by the Manhattan District Attorney must be transferred to federal court and immediately overturned and dismissed.