The Supreme Court may have ruled that presidents are immune from prosecution for official acts, but legal experts assert that this will not overturn former President Donald Trump’s conviction related to hush money payments to a porn star. Most of the crimes occurred before Trump assumed office, making the ruling irrelevant to his case.
Following the conservative-majority Supreme Court’s decision, Trump’s attorneys petitioned New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan to dismiss the guilty verdict against the former president. They cited the landmark ruling as justification. Consequently, Merchan postponed Trump’s sentencing to September 18, moving it from the original July 11 date.
Despite this delay, legal experts maintain that the conviction remains unaffected. Using campaign funds to pay hush money to a porn star falls outside the realm of presidential duties. “Falsifying business records to pay off a porn star would not fall even within the outer stratosphere, let alone the outer perimeter of official presidential duties,” said Cheryl Bader, a law professor at Fordham University.
Steven Cohen, a professor at New York Law School, reinforced this view in an interview with Reuters. He stated that Trump’s actions “cannot fairly be described as among the president’s official duties,” adding, “To the extent, there were activities while he was president, they seem to be almost the definition of unofficial conduct.” Cohen concluded, “The likelihood that a New York court will reverse that conviction I think is remote approaching nonexistent.”
As Trump attempts to delay his criminal trials and sentencing, his businesses might suffer significant repercussions. The Trump Organization’s golf courses in Colts Neck and Bedminster, New Jersey, face potential revocation of their liquor licenses due to Trump’s felony conviction. According to KVUE, the licenses for these establishments expired last week. The New Jersey State Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control announced that these licenses would not be renewed, pending a hearing to determine their fate. In the interim, a temporary 90-day permit allows the two golf courses to serve alcohol.
In a separate development, many criticized the lack of focus on Trump’s falsehoods during a CNN-hosted presidential debate. CNN reported that Trump lied over 30 times during the debate, including claims that “Democratic-led states allow babies to be executed after birth” and “every legal scholar and everybody in general wanted Roe v. Wade overturned.” Other falsehoods included assertions that there were no terror attacks during his presidency, that Iran did not fund terror groups, and that Biden plans to quadruple taxes. Trump also falsely claimed that fraud marred the results of the 2020 election.
While President Joe Biden’s missteps were highlighted during the debate, many felt that Trump’s numerous lies did not receive adequate attention. CNN’s fact-checking underscored the extent of misinformation propagated by the former president, further complicating his already tumultuous legal and political landscape.