The court in Donald Trump's manipulating business records lawsuit denied his request to use presidential protection, saying he waited too long.
Judge Juan Merchan refused Trump's request to delay the trial until the Supreme Court weighs on his immunity claims in the federal election meddling case in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
In a New York petition last month, Trump claimed that his “official acts”—including his tweets and public comments—relieve him from state prosecution and should be excluded from the trial.
Trump's attorneys are trying to exclude his allegations concerning former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and adult film star Stormy Daniels from the case. Merchan said Wednesday that Trump had been informed for months that prosecutors would use "the alleged pressure campaign" against the couple.
The Defendant knew the People had and intended to use his social media, public, and interview statements. He knew he could use presidential immunity, even if it failed, the judge wrote.
Trump pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records connected to money he paid Cohen to reimburse him for a $130,000 hush money payment Daniels received in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump dismisses Daniels' 2006 sexual encounter accusation.
In 2018, Trump publicly chastised both after Cohen pled guilty. In Wednesday's order, Merchan noted that Trump tried to use immunity to bring the Manhattan district attorney's lawsuit to federal court last year. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied the attempt.
In last month's filing, Trump's attorneys claimed that the hush money trial, due to begin April 15, should be paused pending the Supreme Court's immunity determination. The top court will hear their arguments April 25.
follow for more upates.