Hush Money Case: NY Judge Rejects Trump's Bid to Delay Trial Over Immunity Claim

New York: On Wednesday, a New York judge rejected former US president Donald Trump's bid to delay his April 15 hush money trial case until the US Supreme Court reviews his claim to presidential immunity in a separate criminal case.

The Manhattan Judge, Juan M. Merchan wrote, "This Court finds that Defendant had myriad opportunities to raise the claim of presidential immunity well before March 7, 2024."

The apex Court is scheduled to hear the former US President's arguments on April 25 where he would state that he is immune from federal prosecution for trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Democratic President Joe Biden.

His defence attorneys in the New York case in March asked Justice  Merchan to delay the trial until the review was complete, arguing that it is relevant because prosecutors were seeking to present evidence of statements Trump made while he was president from 2017 to 2021.

In the ruling, the Judge said that the former US president had waited too long to raise the issue.

"Defendant had myriad opportunities to raise the claim of presidential immunity well before March 7, 2024," Merchan wrote.

Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up his former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence before the 2016 election about a sexual harassment she faced by Trump in 2006.

However, Trump denies any such encounter with the pornstar.