Judge Merchan Upholds President-elect Trump's 34 Felony Convictions, Rejects Immunity Claim

Dec 17, 2024, 12:45 AM

On December 16, 2024, Judge Juan Merchan ruled that President-elect Donald Trump does not have presidential immunity in his New York hush money case, rejecting Trump's bid to overturn his May conviction. The judge upheld Trump's 34 felony convictions for falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal involving hush money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. Merchan stated that the Supreme Court's July 1 presidential immunity decision does not apply in this case because the evidence "related entirely to unofficial conduct entitled to no immunity protections." The conviction remains valid, though the case's overall future remains unclear.