A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has heard President Donald Trump's request to move his appeal of his New York ‘hush money’ conviction to federal court, citing presidential immunity protections.
Trump's lawyers argued on Wednesday that the state case included evidence tied to his official duties as president, which they claimed should have been excluded after a recent Supreme Court ruling that grants broad criminal immunity for official presidential acts.
Speaking at the hearing, one of the judges, Judge Myrna Perez, said: "It seems to me that we got a very big case that created a whole new world of presidential immunity. And the boundaries are not clear at this point."
Trump was convicted in May last year of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up $130,000 in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her story of an alleged affair with him from being released to media outlets during the 2016 presidential election.
He has denied all allegations of the extramarital affair.
No evidence
Trump's attorney, Jeffrey Wall, said that federal officers, including presidents, should be entitled to a federal forum.
"The district attorney holds the keys in his hand," Wall said. "He doesn't have to introduce this evidence."
Prosecutors said Trump delayed raising the immunity issue and questioned whether the conduct was truly linked to presidential duties.
"He did so in a deliberate attempt to get state court relief," said Steven Wu from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
The court did not issue a decision and said it would consider the arguments further.
