Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Aug 29: A federal judge has again rejected US President Donald Trump's attempt to move his New York hush money case from state to federal court, dealing another setback to his efforts to overturn his criminal conviction.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York said Trump's reasons for renewing the request were "neither new nor legally sufficient."

Trump was convicted in May 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Trump first sought to move the case to federal court on May 4, 2023. Hellerstein rejected the request on July 19, 2023, ruling that the alleged conduct was personal in nature and unrelated to Trump's official duties as President, Xinhua news agency reported.

The judge rejected Trump's request for a second time in September 2024, following his conviction and the US Supreme Court's July 2024 ruling that former presidents are immune from federal criminal prosecution for certain official acts carried out while in office.

In Friday's ruling, Hellerstein again held that the case involved Trump's personal conduct rather than his official presidential acts.

"Paying hush money to an adult film star or engaging in a cover-up of an embarrassment are not subsumed in presidential immunity," he wrote.

Trump's legal team said it would appeal the decision. A spokesperson for the team described the ruling as "baseless and lawless."

New York Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the hush money case, granted Trump an unconditional discharge in January 2025 when imposing the sentence. This means Trump faces no fine or probation supervision.

The sentencing, however, formally designates Trump as a convicted felon, subject to the outcome of his ongoing and future appeals.