Trump's lawyers argue appeal in 2024 hush money felony conviction

More than two years after Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felonies tied to a 2016 hush money payment, his lawyers are arguing an appeal in New York, CBS News reported. The case involves payments made to an adult film star shortly before the 2016 election.

Trump's legal team, now led by attorney Robert Giuffra, contends the case should never have been brought and argues that federal election laws preempt state prosecution, as well as claiming presidential immunity and disputing intent to defraud, according to CBS News.

The original conviction stemmed from a unanimous jury verdict in May 2024, which found Trump guilty of falsifying business records related to reimbursements for the $130,000 payment made by his then-attorney Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels.

During the appeal, lawyers for both Trump and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will have 15 minutes each to respond to questions from New York's Appellate Division, First Department. Both sides anticipate the case will proceed to the state's highest court and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court, CBS News said.

Trump has denied the allegations, and his attorneys argue that statements and strategies related to the case were official responses to public allegations about the president's personal conduct, which they say should be protected, CBS News reported.

Meanwhile, prosecutors characterize the hush money scheme as a conspiracy to defraud the American public, according to CBS News.

The appeal hearing marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the 2016 payment and its implications for election law and presidential immunity.