Is the 'Trump Hush Money Case' Also Protected by Immunity?... Prosecution Says "Should Not Be Accepted"

Supreme Court Partially Accepts Trump’s Immunity on 1st
Trump’s Side Calls for Reconsideration of Sexual Misconduct Case
Manhattan Prosecutors Say Evidence Is Unrelated to Immunity

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that official acts performed during a president's term are protected by immunity, former President Donald Trump's team has sought to overturn the guilty verdict in the 'hush money' scandal. Prosecutors have reportedly submitted an opinion stating that 'the Supreme Court decision is unrelated to this case.'

According to major foreign media including Bloomberg on the 25th (local time), the New York Manhattan District Attorney's Office stated in a letter submitted to the court that “the claim by former President Trump's team that the indictment for felony conviction should be dismissed based on the Supreme Court's broad grant of immunity to him should not be accepted.”

Earlier, on the 1st, the U.S. Supreme Court partially accepted the argument by former President Trump's team, who was indicted for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, that “official acts during the term are exempt from criminal prosecution (immunity) even after leaving office.” Subsequently, Trump's team requested the presiding judge to overturn the guilty verdict in the hush money trial. The defense argued that the evidence linked to the charges violated the immunity and thus the guilty verdict should be overturned.

In response, prosecutors submitted a letter to the court rebutting Trump's team's claims. Prosecutors stated that the Supreme Court's decision does not apply to the types of evidence they submitted in Trump's criminal trial. They explained, “The evidence concerns unofficial acts not covered by Trump's immunity or consists of public records.”

Former President Trump was unanimously found guilty by a jury on May 30 on 34 counts, including allegations that he paid $130,000 (approximately 180 million KRW) to former adult film actress Stormy Daniels through his personal lawyer Michael Cohen just before the 2016 presidential election to prevent disclosure of a past sexual relationship, and then falsified company records to disguise the payment as legal consulting fees.

The New York Manhattan Criminal Court, which is handling the case, plans to determine by June 6 the impact of the Supreme Court's partial acceptance of presidential immunity on the hush money scandal. Subsequently, on June 18, the court is scheduled to sentence former President Trump.