Federal judge says Trump discussing payoff to Stormy Daniels isn’t an official presidential action

A federal judge has dismissed President Donald Trump's request to move his New York criminal hush money case to federal court, ruling that his stated grounds for the request were "neither new nor legally sufficient." District Judge Alvin Hellerstein stated that Trump's actions, related to reimbursement of hush money to an adult film star, were private and not connected to his federal office.

Trump has previously been convicted on 34 felony counts tied to the hush money payments, making him the first president convicted of a felony, though he received an unconditional discharge with no penalties. Despite the conviction, Trump argued that he was protected by presidential immunity and that the Manhattan prosecutors improperly introduced evidence related to White House staffers' actions.

Hellerstein maintained that a president's assistant working on personal matters for the president does not constitute an official act. The judge also noted that Trump's delayed filing for removal in federal court constituted a "quintessential strategic decision," and his later realization that it was a poor decision did not establish cause for the ruling. Trump's appeal of his conviction is still moving through state appellate channels.