Judge Rejects Trump’s Request to Move Hush Money Case to Federal Court

A federal judge in Manhattan rejected a request by former President Donald Trump to move his hush money case to a federal court on Tuesday.

The Details: Trump had requested to move the case through claims that New York’s court system was biased against him and did not adequately consider the Supreme Court’s recent presidential immunity ruling. Judge Alvin Hellerstein determined that district courts don’t have the jurisdiction to consider Trump’s claims of bias and previously determined that Trump’s hush money payments to adult actress Stormy Daniels do not pertain to “official presidential acts” and therefore should not be considered for immunity.

For Context: In July, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Trump has immunity for “official acts” taken as president but not “unofficial” ones. Trump’s sentencing is currently set for September 18, though last week his lawyers separately requested for it to be postponed. CNN (Lean Left bias) reports that this decision could come “as soon as this week.”

Key Quote: “District Courts may not reverse or modify state judgments, even those containing constitutional infirmities because ‘to do so would be an exercise of appellate jurisdiction,’” Hellerstein wrote in a four-page statement.

How The Media Covered It: The Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) included context that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said he did not oppose a sentencing delay per Trump’s request, while CNN wrote that “prosecutors haven’t opposed” it. The Examiner also included that Bragg’s office objected to Trump’s attempt to refile his request to move to a federal court on Tuesday.