A New York judge has rejected US President-elect Donald Trump’s attempt to have his conviction for covering up hush money payments to a porn star overturned on immunity grounds. Judge Juan Merchan ruled on Monday that a Supreme Court decision granting US presidents broad immunity for official acts did not apply in this case, as the testimony in the trial was related to unofficial conduct, which is not protected by immunity.
This ruling increases the likelihood that Trump could become the first president in US history to enter the White House with a felony conviction, although an appeal against the jury’s verdict is still pending.
Trump has consistently opposed the criminal charges against him, which stem from his payments to a porn star to secure her silence and his subsequent efforts to cover up the transactions ahead of the 2016 election.
The judge overseeing the case had previously delayed Trump’s sentencing at a hearing on November 22, following Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election. Trump’s legal team had referenced a landmark Supreme Court ruling from July that grants presidents immunity for acts conducted in an official capacity, arguing that this immunity should apply to their case. However, prosecutors countered that Trump’s request to dismiss the case went far beyond what was necessary to protect the presidency.
