With his criminal trial in New York set to start on March 25, Donald Trump is attempting to postpone it. His attorneys requested in a court document on Monday that Judge Juan Merchan postpone the trial until after the Supreme Court makes a decision about his presidential immunity claim in his federal election meddling case, according to NBC News.
Some of the charges in the New York lawsuit relate to Trump's presidency, but the case also concerns payments of hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels before to his election, according to the AP. Merchan did not make a decision about the motion to postpone the trial indefinitely right away. The former president entered a not guilty plea to 34 charges of fabricating corporate documents, which is a crime.
According to Reuters, Trump's attorneys filed a motion on Monday stating that prosecutors intended to provide proof of a purported "pressure campaign" against Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, during Trump's presidency.
According to them, Trump's remarks on Cohen on social media qualify as "official communications." "Without immunity from criminal prosecution based on official acts, the President's political opponents will seek to influence and control his or her decisions via de facto extortion," they said.
When Trump's attorneys attempted to have the lawsuit moved to federal court last year, the judge dismissed a similar defense. US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said, "The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the matter was a purely personal item of the President—a cover-up of an embarrassing event." "Hush money paid to an adult film star is not related to a President's official acts." (Daniels claims in a recent documentary that Trump trapped her in his hotel room.)
Some of the charges in the New York lawsuit relate to Trump's presidency, but the case also concerns payments of hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels before to his election, according to the AP. Merchan did not make a decision about the motion to postpone the trial indefinitely right away. The former president entered a not guilty plea to 34 charges of fabricating corporate documents, which is a crime.
According to Reuters, Trump's attorneys filed a motion on Monday stating that prosecutors intended to provide proof of a purported "pressure campaign" against Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, during Trump's presidency.
According to them, Trump's remarks on Cohen on social media qualify as "official communications." "Without immunity from criminal prosecution based on official acts, the President's political opponents will seek to influence and control his or her decisions via de facto extortion," they said.
When Trump's attorneys attempted to have the lawsuit moved to federal court last year, the judge dismissed a similar defense. US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said, "The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the matter was a purely personal item of the President—a cover-up of an embarrassing event." "Hush money paid to an adult film star is not related to a President's official acts." (Daniels claims in a recent documentary that Trump trapped her in his hotel room.)
