Judge in Trump hush money case rejects presidential immunity defense
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's falsifying business records case shot down his bid to use presidential immunity as part of his defense, finding the former president waited too long to raise the issue.
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's falsifying business records case shot down his bid to use presidential immunity as part of his defense, finding the former president waited too long to raise the issue.
In his ruling Wednesday, Judge Juan Merchan also denied Trump's motion to delay the trial's start date until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on his immunity claims in the federal election interference case in Washington, D.C.
Trump had contended in a New York filing last month that he’s immune from state prosecution based on “official acts,” and that some of the evidence against him should be kept out of the impending trial because they were official presidential acts — including his tweets and public comments.
Merchan rejected the request, saying Trump had waited too long to raise the argument. "This Court finds that Defendant had myriad opportunities to raise the claim of presidential immunity well before March 7, 2024" but failed to do so, the judge wrote.
The evidence Trump's attorneys are trying to keep out of the case pertains to statements that he made while in office about two key prosecution witnesses: former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and adult film star Stormy Daniels. Merchan said Wednesday Trump had been on notice that prosecutors planned to use evidence of "the alleged pressure campaign" on the pair for several months.
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