• Donald Trump formally appeals his criminal conviction regarding hush money payments.
• His lawyers argue the case featured flawed evidence and judicial bias.
• Trump cites new Supreme Court rulings on presidential immunity in his appeal.
• The appeal follows a jury conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
• This case has been described as one of the most politically charged prosecutions in U.S. history.

President Donald Trump has formally appealed his May 2024 conviction in a high-profile New York case centered on hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. His lawyers filed the appeal late Monday, arguing that Trump's trial was "fatally marred" by flawed evidence and a judge who should have recused himself due to perceived bias, particularly citing small donations to Democratic causes made by Judge Juan Merchan. The appeal asserts that Trump is protected by presidential immunity regarding actions taken during his presidency, a point recently bolstered by a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court.

The appeal directly challenges the basis of the conviction, which involved 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment made to keep Daniels silent about an alleged affair before the 2016 presidential election. Trump's lawyers described the prosecution as unprecedented and politically motivated, saying the charges stemmed from an effort by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to influence the election. "This case should never have seen the inside of a courtroom, let alone resulted in a conviction," they stated, echoing sentiments shared throughout his trial.

Trump's team argues that Judge Merchan's refusal to recuse himself, despite political contributions and family ties to Democratic affiliations, compromised the fairness of the trial. Furthermore, they assert that the inclusion of evidence related to Trump's official acts during his presidency is in violation of the Supreme Court's definition of presidential immunity. Trump's lawyers contend that this scenario represents "the most politically charged prosecution in our nation’s history" and that the state law under which he was charged improperly conflates federal election laws with state-level prosecution.

Trump's lawyers highlight that the case should be dismissed as the prosecution failed to establish the required intent to commit a crime. They argue that actions taken before the election should not qualify as unlawful, as discussions of an alleged affair were not violations of existing New York law. The appeal will be reviewed by New York's intermediate appellate court, with expectations that the case may be escalated to federal court should it proceed favorably for Trump.