Trump failed in his attempt to dismiss the hush money case.

(CLO) On Monday, Donald Trump failed in his attempt to overturn a criminal conviction related to hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan rejected Trump's argument that Manhattan prosecutors presented flawed evidence regarding Trump's official conduct from his first presidential term, as well as that the use of testimony from former White House staffers and other evidence was invalid and undermined presidential immunity.

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In her 41-page ruling, Judge Merchan pointed out that the actions related to the hush money scheme were "personal acts" and did not fall within the president's immunity from official actions. Merchan wrote that even if some evidence might not have been properly accepted, this error would not have affected the outcome because "the evidence of guilt was overwhelming."

Trump's lawyers continue to argue that maintaining the case while he is preparing for a second presidential term would hinder his ability to govern. Trump has asked Judge Merchan to postpone sentencing until all appeals are completed, which could result in a delay in the sentence until 2029, when Trump will be 82 years old.

The hush money case is one of the only criminal cases involving Trump to go to trial in 2023, while other cases related to the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents remain unresolved.

Trump's spokesman, Steven Cheung, criticized Judge Merchan's decision, calling it a "direct violation" of the immunity granted by the Supreme Court. It remains unclear when Judge Merchan will rule on Trump's remaining appeals.

The case stems from a $130,000 payment that Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, allegedly made to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to keep their affair secret. Although Trump denies the allegations, including that the payment came from falsifying business records to conceal information.

In May, a Manhattan jury convicted Trump on 34 counts related to falsifying business records. However, Trump argued that the evidence used in the trial violated presidential immunity, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in a separate case in July. The Supreme Court ruled that the president cannot be prosecuted for official conduct while in office.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters, Politico, CNBC)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ong-donald-trump-that-bai-trong-no-luc-bac-bo-vu-an-tien-bit-mieng-post326032.html