President Donald Trump just got a fresh shot at tossing out his hush money conviction in a stunning federal appeals court ruling on Thursday, as The Hill reports.
In a nutshell, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit breathed new life into Trump’s effort to shift his case from New York state court to federal jurisdiction, potentially paving the way to nullify a 34-count guilty verdict.
Let’s rewind a bit to last year, when Trump was convicted of falsifying business records tied to a scheme to hush up claims of an affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential race.
Trump has consistently argued that New York’s state court system is a rigged game, blasting the judge and jury as biased against him at every turn.
His legal team first tried to relocate the prosecution to federal court early on but struck out, leaving them to regroup for a second swing.
Now, in this latest push, Trump’s attorneys are banking on the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent presidential immunity ruling, claiming it justifies revisiting evidence like social media posts and White House aide testimony that the jury shouldn’t have seen during the seven-week trial.
The appeals panel, made up of Judges Raymond Lohier, Susan Carney, and Myrna Pérez -- all appointed by Democrat presidents -- didn’t exactly hand Trump a victory, but they did throw him a lifeline.
They ruled that U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a Clinton appointee, didn’t properly weigh Trump’s arguments for moving the case, ordering a deeper review of the evidence in question.
The panel made it clear they’re not picking a side, stating, “The court bypassed what we consider to be important issues bearing on the ultimate issue of good cause,” as written in their decision.
Trump’s camp is, unsurprisingly, crowing about this development as a win against what they see as a weaponized justice system targeting conservatives.
“President Trump continues to win in his fight against Radical Democrat Lawfare,” declared a spokesperson for Trump’s legal team. Well, that’s one way to frame a procedural ruling, but let’s not pop the champagne just yet -- this is far from a dismissal.
Still, the rhetoric is red-hot, with the same spokesperson adding, “The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the Federal and New York State Constitutions, and other established legal precedent mandate that the Witch Hunt perpetrated by the Manhattan DA be immediately overturned and dismissed.” That’s a bold claim, but it’s hard to ignore the pattern of progressive prosecutors seemingly laser-focused on Trump.
While this federal appeals decision grabs headlines, Trump isn’t putting all his eggs in one basket. He’s simultaneously challenging the conviction in New York’s state court system.
Last week, his lawyers filed arguments with the state’s midlevel appeals court, calling the prosecution the “most politically charged” in American history, a jab at what many conservatives see as lawfare dressed up as justice.
It’s a two-pronged strategy: push for a federal venue to leverage the immunity ruling while hammering away at perceived bias in state proceedings. With the Manhattan district attorney’s office staying mum for now despite outreach from The Hill, the public is left waiting for the next salvo in this legal saga.
