President Donald Trump has filed an appeal of his conviction in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s “hush money” case against him.
Trump reportedly hired a new legal team to begin the appeal process. The team consists of lead attorney Robert Giuffra and includes four other lawyers. Members of the president’s previous legal team have transitioned to roles in the Justice Department.
The filing challenges the president’s conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair between the two.
Trump has submitted his notice of appeal in his NY hush money criminal case.
— Zach Schonfeld (@ZachASchonfeld) January 29, 2025
He's bringing on a new five-attorney team from Sullivan & Cromwell (all former #SCOTUS clerks) to represent him. pic.twitter.com/xtjA83SJxC
In a statement, Guiffra said the president’s appeal “is important for the rule of law, New York’s reputation as a global business, financial and legal center, as well as for the presidency and all public officials.”
The lawyer further stated “The misuse of the criminal law by the Manhattan DA to target President Trump sets a dangerous precedent, and we look forward to the case being dismissed on appeal.”
Judge Juan Merchan sentenced Trump to unconditional discharge during court proceedings on January 10. This means that while the president will not serve jail time, the conviction will remain on his record. The judge argued that unconditional discharge was “the only lawful sentence, without encroaching upon the highest office in the land.”
Trump’s legal battle will now move to the Appellate Division, First Department. The president had previously filed pre-trial appeals with this court, but was rejected.
After being sentenced, Trump had some choice words for the politically motivated effort to prosecute him. In a post on Truth Social, the president wrote:
The Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt. After spending tens of millions of dollars, wasting over 6 years of obsessive work that should have been spent on protecting New Yorkers from violent, rampant crime that is destroying the City and State, coordinating with the Biden/Harris Department of Injustice in lawless Weaponization, and bringing completely baseless, illegal, and fake charges against your 45th and 47th President, ME, I was given an UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE.
The president further pointed out that the outcome shows that “THERE IS NO CASE, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE, and this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED.”
I’m calling it now: This case will end up before the Supreme Court. Given the political climate in New York, there is absolutely no way any higher court will overturn Trump’s conviction. The sole reason why Bragg launched the prosecution in the first place was to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Trump won anyway, but at least they can continue trotting out the “convicted felon” talking point when it suits them.
However, the Supreme Court might have a different take.