Manhattan prosecutors have strongly rejected Donald Trump’s attempt to have his hush money conviction thrown out, calling it part of “a dangerous pattern of harassment and intimidation.”
In a filing released Tuesday, prosecutors urged Judge Juan Merchan to uphold the jury’s guilty verdict, which found Trump guilty of falsifying business records in connection with hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The jury convicted Trump on 34 counts earlier this year.
Trump’s legal team recently argued that, as a “president-elect,” he should be immune from prosecution, and that any ongoing criminal cases against him should be put on hold or dismissed altogether. They claimed that continuing the case could harm the institution of the presidency and distract from his duties as president.
But prosecutors fired back, saying there is no legal basis for “presidential immunity” in this case. They argued that Trump’s actions — including making false business records to cover up payments to Daniels — had nothing to do with his duties as president and should not be protected by any immunity.
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“President-elect immunity does not exist,” prosecutors wrote. Even after his inauguration, Trump’s “temporary immunity” as president wouldn’t be enough to cancel out the jury’s guilty verdict or undo the criminal proceedings, they argued.
They also criticized Trump for trying to undermine the case with false claims of misconduct and attacks on the judge, prosecutors, and their families. Trump has repeatedly used inflammatory rhetoric, including posting a threatening image of himself holding a baseball bat near the head of the District Attorney. Prosecutors said this kind of behavior was part of a broader “pattern of harassment and intimidation” that should not be rewarded by dismissing the case.
Trump’s defense team has pushed for delays, arguing that his “overwhelming victory” in the 2024 election and the upcoming pressures of the presidency give him immunity from prosecution. But prosecutors rejected this, pointing out that none of the actions in the hush money case had anything to do with presidential duties.
Judge Merchan, who is overseeing the case, has not yet ruled on whether to accept Trump’s arguments or continue with the conviction. Last week, he postponed Trump’s sentencing date as he considers whether to vacate the verdict entirely.
The outcome of this case could have significant consequences for Trump’s future, including whether he faces any penalties or is able to avoid accountability for the hush money scheme. Meanwhile, other legal battles against Trump continue, including federal cases overseen by special counsel Jack Smith and legal proceedings related to Trump’s role in the 2020 election in Georgia.
As of now, Trump is moving closer to taking office in 2025, but his legal troubles are far from over.
