Judge, rejecting Trump arguments, signals he’ll let New York criminal case stay in state court
By JENNIFER PELTZ and LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — The hush money case against former President Donald Trump appears headed back to a New York state court. A federal judge showed little inclination Tuesday to let Trump move the history-making prosecution to federal court. Trump’s lawyers argue that he was acting in his capacity as president when he hired and paid a personal attorney who orchestrated payouts to squelch allegations of extramarital sex. The payouts are at the heart of Manhattan prosecutors’ case against Trump. He pleaded not guilty in state court in April to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide the hush money payouts.