Court may overturn Trump's conviction in money concealment case
Photo: US presidential candidate Donald Trump (Getty Images)
This week, a judge is set to decide whether to overturn the conviction of newly elected President Donald Trump. The case concerns the concealment of funds, reports The Guardian.
The case against Trump is ongoing in the US. He has been accused of concealing a payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about their alleged affair. However, in light of the US Supreme Court's July ruling on presidential immunity, the judge must decide whether the conviction should be overturned.
Judge Juan Merchan stated that he will issue his ruling by Tuesday. This is the first of two key decisions Merchan must make following Trump's victory in the election.
Merchan must also decide whether to sentence Trump on November 26, as scheduled. Legal experts suggest that a verdict is unlikely to occur before Trump's inauguration on January 20.
A favorable ruling from Merchan regarding immunity or a delay in sentencing could pave the way for Trump's return to the White House, virtually unburdened by any of the four criminal cases that once seemed to threaten his ambitions.
In May 2024, Trump was found guilty on 34 counts. This was the first criminal trial in US history involving a former or sitting president.
He was accused of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels by his lawyer ahead of the 2016 election. The payment was related to her silence about an alleged sexual encounter that, according to Daniels, occurred ten years prior.
However, in September, Trump's sentencing was postponed until after the election.
