In a groundbreaking decision, a New York judge has rejected former President Trump’s claims of presidential immunity in his hush money case. Justice Juan Merchan ruled that Trump waited too long to raise the defense, removing a potential delay tactic for the upcoming trial.
The hush money case, which involves 34 charges stemming from payments made before Trump’s presidency, is set to become the first criminal trial of a former president on April 15. Trump had initially not argued for immunity in this case but recently changed course, hoping to delay the trial until after the Supreme Court hears his immunity case on April 25.
Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office opposed Trump’s motion, leading to Merchan’s decisive ruling. The judge’s decision brings Trump’s hush money prosecution one step closer to trial, with only a pending effort to adjourn the schedule due to “prejudicial pretrial publicity.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is prepared to take Trump to trial on charges of falsifying business records, accusing him of concealing hush money payments to hide damaging information from voters before the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
This ruling comes as similar decisions on Trump’s immunity claims have caused delays in his other criminal cases. The Supreme Court is set to weigh in on whether a president can be criminally charged for actions taken while in office, with previous rulings rejecting Trump’s theory of immunity.
As the legal battles continue, Trump’s claims of presidential immunity are being closely scrutinized in multiple cases, with the ultimate decision likely to have far-reaching implications for future presidential accountability.