Federal judge rejects Trump's third attempt to move criminal case to federal court

Key Points:

• U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected President Trump's third attempt to move his criminal case involving hush money payments to federal court, reaffirming that the conviction stands despite claims of presidential immunity.
• Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, and his legal team argued the case should be dismissed under presidential immunity, a claim the judge dismissed as legally insufficient.
• The decision follows a directive from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Hellerstein to reconsider Trump's request, but the judge maintained that Trump failed to show good cause or diligence for removal to federal court.
• Trump quickly appealed the ruling, with his legal team asserting that the Manhattan District Attorney's prosecution is politically motivated and should be dismissed, while the Manhattan DA's office declined to comment.
• This case is the only one among four criminal prosecutions Trump faced during his 2024 campaign that went to trial; others have been dismissed, and Trump continues to pursue appeals in New York state courts.