Judge rejects Trump's bid to move hush money case to federal court

A federal judge on Friday rejected President Donald Trump's latest attempt to transfer his New York criminal hush money case to federal court, dealing a significant setback to his effort to overturn his felony conviction on grounds of presidential immunity. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that Trump's arguments for moving the case were "neither new nor legally sufficient" and that the president had failed to show the required good cause and diligence.

The decision, issued on August 28, 2026, marks the third time Judge Hellerstein has blocked Trump's efforts to shift the case from state to federal jurisdiction. Trump was convicted in May 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment made by his former attorney Michael Cohen to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. The payment was allegedly made to silence Daniels about an extramarital encounter with Trump, which he denies. Prosecutors argued the reimbursements to Cohen were falsely recorded as legal expenses to conceal another crime.

Trump was sentenced in January 2025 to an unconditional discharge, meaning he received no jail time, probation, or fine, but...