Donald Trump was convicted of nearly three dozen felonies related to fraud and falsification of business records. Trump doesn’t talk about his felony convictions, but his critics do.
Being a convicted felon clearly bothers Trump, which is why he has never stopped trying to get his convictions overturned.
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Trump has been arguing since the Supreme Court granted him immunity for official acts that his payoff to Stormy Daniels was an official presidential act, so his felony case should have been in federal court.
Moving his appeal to federal court would make it easier to overturn his convictions.
District Judge Alvin Hellerstein smashed Trump’s argument in his ruling:
Trump argues that there was emphasis at the trial on NYEL § 17-152 and its ‘unlawful means’ requirement, and that this was something new. See Trump Br. 30-32. It was not new. I treated all these issues in my opinion. I held that “violations of FECA and NYEL § 17-152 are not elements of the crime charged.
The only elements are the falsification of business records, an intent to defraud, and an intent to commit or conceal another crime. The People need not establish that Trump or any other person actually violated NYEL § 17-152 or FECA.” Id. at 349.
The judge was not buying Trump’s argument at all.