President Donald J. Trump is launching a powerful new legal push to overturn the controversial Manhattan conviction that Democrats used to brand him a “felon” during his 2024 campaign.
In a late-night filing Monday, Trump’s attorneys argued that the hush-money case was a politically motivated sham designed to interfere with the presidential election and stop his historic comeback.
“This case should never have seen the inside of a courtroom,” Trump’s legal team declared. “It was driven by politics, not justice.”
The appeal challenges the 34-count conviction for business record charges connected to a payment made to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump’s lawyers accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat with deep political ties, of twisting obscure laws to go after the leading Republican candidate for president.
“These charges were as unprecedented as they were unconstitutional,” Trump’s attorneys from the respected firm Sullivan & Cromwell wrote, describing Bragg’s prosecution as an example of radical Democrat lawfare and election interference.
Trump’s Legal Team Targets Bias and Political Influence
The appeal also calls for Judge Juan Merchan’s recusal, citing his donations to Democrat causes and his daughter’s work for prominent Democrat campaigns. Trump’s lawyers said those connections prove the case was rigged from the start.
In addition, Trump’s team renewed its argument that he was protected by presidential immunity at the time of the alleged events — meaning the charges should have never been filed in the first place.
Trump is also asking a federal appeals court to move the case out of New York’s politicized state system and into federal jurisdiction, a move that could ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump Stands Strong Amid Political Attacks
Despite the conviction, Trump received a no-penalty sentence in January — avoiding fines or jail time — as he continued his campaign to Make America Great Again.
In a statement Tuesday, Trump’s spokesman called the Manhattan case a “Witch Hunt” and a “meritless hoax,” saying the president will never stop fighting to expose the Democrats’ misuse of the justice system.
“President Trump will keep defeating Democrat weaponization at every turn,” the statement said, “as he focuses on his mission to restore American greatness and protect our freedoms.”