Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg asks judge not to overturn Trump’s conviction

The Supreme Court’s ruling on Donald Trump’s immunity for “official acts” while he was president has no bearing on his conviction on charges of falsifying business records in New York, state prosecutors argued in a document made public Thursday. .

In a brief arguing against Trump’s attempt to dismiss the indictment and guilty verdict on 34 criminal counts, prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said the Supreme Court’s ruling in the federal election interference case against Trump “has nothing to say about the conviction of the defendant” in his case.

“At issue in the Supreme Court’s decision was whether the defendant could be prosecuted federally ‘for conduct allegedly involving official acts during his tenure.’ The criminal charges here, on the other hand, arise exclusively from the defendant’s ‘unofficial acts’ – conduct for which ‘there is no immunity,’” the prosecutor’s document states.

Furthermore, “the evidence he claims is affected by the Supreme Court’s decision constitutes only a slice of the mountains of testimony and documentary evidence that the jury considered in finding him guilty of all 34 criminal charges beyond a reasonable doubt.” , argued the prosecutor.

The former president’s lawyers argued earlier this month that the high court ruling, issued on July 1, had implications for his conviction in the weeks-long silent trial, citing several examples of what they described as “evidence of inadmissible official acts.” presented in the trial that under the new Supreme Court ruling cannot be introduced because they address “fundamental” presidential duties.

They argued that testimony about his private conversations with former White House communications director Hope Hicks, discussions about his pardon power, as well as the use of his presidential Twitter posts were all wrongly admitted and, as a result, Trump should be entitled to a new trial – or more.

“In order to vindicate the doctrine of presidential immunity and protect the interests implicated in its foundations, the jury verdicts must be vacated and the indictment dismissed,” the lawsuit said.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche declined to comment on the prosecutor’s new request, but sent a letter to Judge Juan Merchan asking for permission to respond to the prosecutor’s “legal and factual misrepresentations.”

Merchan is expected to rule on the issue by September 6.

Trump’s initial sentencing was scheduled for July 11, but the judge delayed sentencing until at least September 18 to consider Trump’s arguments.

Trump was convicted of all charges against him in May, the first time a former president has been convicted on criminal charges. If the sentence goes ahead, he will face penalties ranging from a fine to four years in prison per charge.

Prosecutors alleged that Trump falsified business records related to a secret payment his former lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the closing weeks of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.