The future US President Trump was found guilty in a trial for paying hush money to a porn star. His lawyers are now requesting that the proceedings be discontinued. In their justification they use President Biden's words.
US President-elect Donald Trump wants the trial against him over hush money payments to be dropped. His lawyers asked that the conviction be overturned. Trump's defense argued with the words of US President Joe Biden, who justified the pardon of his son Hunter with “unjust” and politically motivated treatment by the judiciary. It was precisely this “type of political theater” that Trump also fell victim to, the application said.
The lawyers also argued that the guilty verdict against their client would disrupt the transfer of power in the USA and run counter to his immunity as a future president. The public prosecutor in New York now has until Monday to respond. Judge Juan Merchan will then decide how to proceed.
Concealment of $130,000 Hush money payments
Jurors in New York found Trump guilty on 34 counts at the end of May. The trial concerned the illegal concealment of $130,000 in hush money payments to a former porn actress in order to gain advantages in the 2016 election campaign. If the ruling stands, Trump will also become the first U.S. president to rule as a convicted felon.
It remains unclear how Judge Merchan will rule. The public prosecutor's office had previously signaled that it would postpone the sentencing until after the end of the Republican's second four-year term in office. However, this would mean that the conviction would stand. An announcement of the punishment before Trump's inauguration on January 20th seems practically impossible.
The sentence was originally supposed to be announced long before the US election, but Trump's team repeatedly managed to postpone the date. In the worst case scenario, the Republican would face several years in prison. However, many observers believed that a suspended sentence or a fine was much more likely.
More sensational process
Trump was always personally present at the trial in the spring. Although the trial was fundamentally about financial fraud, the testimony of porn actress Stormy Daniels, among others, attracted a lot of attention.
Trump denies having sex with Daniels – but not that hush money was paid. He used his court appearances to portray himself as a victim of justice and to solicit campaign donations. He repeatedly brought numerous political supporters with him into the courtroom. Many of them are now expected to hold high government positions.
