Judge denies Trump's push to move his Manhattan criminal trial to federal court

A federal judge on Wednesday denied an effort by attorneys representing Donald Trump to move the former president’s Manhattan-based hush-money trial to federal court.

Trump’s attorneys initially filed to move the case to federal court in May, but Alvin K. Hellerstein, a federal judge, in late June indicated such a move was unlikely.

He said, “There is no reason to believe that an equal measure of justice couldn’t be rendered by the state court” and described a central argument presented by a Trump lawyer as “far-fetched.”

Hellerstein shut the door on the potential move on Wednesday, stating in his ruling that, “The issues have been fully briefed. I heard the arguments and conducted an evidentiary hearing on June 27, 2023. I hold that there is no subject matter jurisdiction, §1442 (a) was improperly invoked, and that the case is remanded to the New York Supreme Court for further proceedings in that court.”

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in April unveiled a 34-count indictment against Trump alleging the former president paid off a porn star for her silence in an effort to conceal a potentially politically damaging relationship ahead of the 2016 election.

Politico senior legal affairs reporter Kyle Cheney first reported the judge’s ruling on Twitter.