In an unexpected turn of events, former U.S. President Donald Trump decided to halt his appeal to shift his hush money criminal case from a state court to a federal one.
What Happened: The Hill reported that the rationale for the sudden withdrawal is yet to be revealed. This development suggests that Trump will persist in his defense against 34 charges in the state court, which revolve around falsifying business records in the context of hush money transactions,
The allegations center on payments amounting to $280,000, made to ex-adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in an alleged effort to conceal claims of an affair. Trump’s legal representatives had previously signaled their intent to migrate the case to a federal court to leverage various federal defenses and counter perceived state bias against a federal official.
Transitioning to a federal court would have broadened the jury pool and might have precluded the trial from being broadcast. The case is due to progress in state court, where the matter of televising the trial is yet to be settled.
Why It Matters: The appeal from the former president came after a federal judge rejected his attempt to transfer courts, contending that the case lacked adequate ties to his presidential responsibilities. Trump’s New York criminal trial is set to commence on March 25, with New York Supreme Court Acting Justice Juan Merchan presiding.
The trial may coincide with Trump’s federal case concerning his alleged efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election results. Trump also faces allegations in Georgia related to a purported conspiracy to maintain power after the 2020 election, but he abstained from transferring these charges to a federal court.
Trump’s legal representatives are currently formulating a strategy to dismiss the hush money indictment before the trial commences, with a hearing scheduled for Feb. 15.
Read Next: Mike Johnson Once Called Trump ‘Dangerous’: ‘Lacks The Character’ To Be President
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