Trump team files letter saying they want to challenge hush money verdict based on Supreme Court immunity ruling
CNN
By Kara Scannell and Kaitlan Collins, CNN
(CNN) — Donald Trump’s legal team filed a letter Monday seeking to challenge the former president’s conviction in his New York criminal hush money trial based on the US Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, a source told CNN.
Just hours after the high court ruling, Trump’s lawyer filed a letter with Judge Juan Merchan seeking permission to file a motion to challenge the verdict, the source said. If the judge allows Trump to file the motion it could delay Trump’s sentencing – set for next week – to allow the parties to brief the issue.
The longshot bid to challenge Trump’s New York conviction follows the Supreme Court decision that presidents have an absolute immunity from prosecution for core official acts. It comes as the 2024 Republican presumptive presidential nominee seeks to avoid other pre-election trials in the three most significant criminal prosecutions he faces.
In the letter, Trump’s legal team cited the Supreme Court’s decision and suggested postponing his sentencing next week, a source familiar with the effort told CNN.
The former president’s lawyers argued that the ruling confirmed their position that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should not have been allowed to offer evidence at the trial regarding Trump’s “official acts” and, as a result, the jury’s guilty verdict should be set aside.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office did not file its sentencing submission Monday as expected, according to a separate source.
The district attorney’s office declined to comment on the letter Monday night.
The Supreme Court, in the 6-3 decision that split along ideological lines, ruled that Trump may claim immunity from criminal prosecution for some of the actions he took as president before leaving office, likely delaying cases – like his federal election subversion trial related to his actions on January 6, 2021 – even further.
Trump became the first former US president to be convicted of a felony in May when the Manhattan jury found him guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his hush money criminal trial.
Trump’s sentence is up to the judge, and it could include prison time or probation. Merchan set that sentencing hearing for July 11.
This story has been updated with additional details.
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