Manhattan DA Urges Court to Keep Trump Hush Money Convictions in Place
Manhattan prosecutors are urging a New York appellate court to keep Donald Trump’s hush money convictions in place, arguing that his latest challenge does not justify disturbing the jury’s verdict.
Trump was convicted in 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors said the records concealed reimbursements tied to a payment to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign. Trump has denied wrongdoing and argues that parts of the trial were tainted by evidence and testimony he says should have been shielded under the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office is taking the opposite position. Prosecutors argue the case centered on unofficial, private conduct rather than presidential duties. They also argue that even if some disputed evidence were viewed differently, other evidence supported the guilty verdict.
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The appeal matters because it is one of Trump’s remaining paths to erase a felony conviction that has carried unusual political and legal significance. The sentence did not impose jail time, a fine, or probation, but the verdict itself remains the key legal consequence.
Trump’s team has also pursued a federal route, arguing that the case belongs in federal court because presidential immunity issues are at the center of the dispute. A federal judge previously questioned the timing and basis of that effort, while the broader procedural fight has continued.
Public reaction is visible but not overwhelming. ABC’s social distribution drew comments, shares, and reactions, while other shares showed lighter engagement. That suggests the story’s strongest value is legal and search driven, not purely viral.
The next step is whether the appellate court accepts the DA’s argument and leaves the convictions standing, or gives Trump another opening to challenge the verdict.
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