Judge keeps hush-money case in New York, rejects federal transfer bid

Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied Trump's bid to move the New York hush-money case to federal court for a third time, ruling the presidential-immunity argument isn’t new or legally sufficient; Trump plans an appeal. The case concerns a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to influence the 2016 election; Trump was convicted in 2024 on 34 counts of falsifying business records and received an unconditional discharge in 2025, though the conviction remains on his record. The ruling references the 2024 Supreme Court immunity decision and a 2nd Circuit reconsideration order in evaluating whether the acts were official presidential acts.