The Dictatorship
Judge declines to overturn Trump’s guilty verdicts in New York over immunity ruling
By Jordan Rubin
Judge Juan Merchan has rejected Donald Trump’s motion arguing that his guilty verdicts in his New York hush money case should be overturned on presidential immunity grounds. But it’s still unclear when sentencing will happen.
Even before Trump won the election, his lawyers had signaled that they would immediately appeal an adverse ruling before any sentencing could take place. So if they do immediately appeal, then the next step is up to the appellate courts — including potentially the Supreme Court, which granted Trump broad immunity in the federal election interference case. Trump has also filed a motion to dismiss the case due to his election as president earlier this month.
After a jury convicted Trump in May of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, Trump was scheduled to be sentenced on July 11. But before that could happen, the Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed majority issued the immunity ruling July 1. Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to argue that the verdicts should be overturned and the indictment should be dismissed, contending that evidence introduced at trial and in the grand jury ran afoul of the high court ruling.
“Even if this Court did find that the disputed evidence constitutes official acts under the auspices of the [Supreme Court’s presidential immunity] decision, which it does not, Defendant’s motion is still denied as introduction of the disputed evidence constitutes harmless error and no mode of proceedings error has taken place,” Merchan wrote in his ruling on Monday.
Sentencing in this case has been delayed multiple times, with Merchan pushing it until September and then to Nov. 26 because of the election. But Trump’s lawyers asked to pause the proceedings last month due to his impending White House return. Prosecutors agreed to request a postponement and Merchan allowed it.
Incarceration isn’t mandatory in this case and, even if Merchan imposes any, Trump wouldn’t serve time as president. In any event, he would likely remain free pending appeal of his convictions.
This case is the only one of Trump’s four criminal prosecutions that went to trial. His two federal cases have been dismissed before he takes office, while the fate of his New York and Georgia state cases is unclear. He pleaded not guilty in each of the cases.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in Donald Trump’s legal cases.
Jordan Rubin is the Deadline: Legal Blog writer. He was a prosecutor for the New York County District Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and is the author of “Bizarro,” a book about the secret war on synthetic drugs. Before he joined BLN, he was a legal reporter for Bloomberg Law.
The Dictatorship
The Latest: US hits pro-government demonstration in Iran as war threatens global economy
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The suspect in an attack at a synagogue near Detroit lost several family members in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon this month, according to the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn and community leaders.
Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old U.S. citizen originally from Lebanon, lost his two brothers and a niece and nephew in the strike on their home, according to those sources. Whether that played a role in the motive for the attack remains unclear, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer deferred a question about it to the FBI on Friday, citing an ongoing investigation.
Authorities are looking at the possibility Ghazali may have had familial ties to Hezbollah in Lebanon, two law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation told MS NOW.
Ghazali died in the Thursday attack, in which authorities say he drove a car into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, injuring a security officer. Ghazali was a resident of Dearborn Heights, Mayor Mo Baydoun said in a Facebook post. Baydoun also said in that post that Ghazali “lost several members of his own family, including his niece and nephew, in an Israeli attack on their home in Lebanon” this month.
The Thursday attack in Michigan came as the U.S. and Israel wage a war with Iranwhich they launched on Feb. 28. Security around Jewish communities in places such as New York has been heightened since the conflict began.
Ghazali first came to the U.S. in 2011 on a spousal visa before being granted citizenship in 2016, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said.
In a phone interview with Fox host Brian Kilmeade, President Donald Trump appeared to blame former President Joe Biden for Ghazali’s entry into the country when asked about the Michigan attack and the deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Michigan.
“They came in a lot through Biden, and they came in through other presidents, frankly, and it’s a disgrace,” Trump said.
Temple Israel describes itself as the country’s largest Jewish Reform congregation, and it also has an early childhood education center on site that more than 100 kids attend, Whitmer said. All children were safely evacuated following the attack, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
“This is targeting babies who are Jewish,” Whitmer said. “That’s antisemitism at its absolute worst.”
The security guard who was injured was hospitalized but is expected to recover.
Whitmer on Friday thanked the synagogue’s security personnel, who she said “were selfless in their courage and they saved lives.”
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., added that if the synagogue’s private security, local law enforcement and first responders “had not all done their jobs almost perfectly, we would be talking about an immense tragedy here today with children gone.”
Andrew Bossone and Chris O’Leary contributed to this report.
Julianne McShane is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW who also covers the politics of abortion and reproductive rights. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at jmcshane.19 or follow her on X or Bluesky.
Marc Santia is an investigative correspondent for MS NOW.
The Dictatorship
Missile strikes a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraqi security officials say
BAGHDAD (AP) — A missile struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, two Iraqi security officials said.
Associated Press footage showed a column of smoke rising Saturday morning over the embassy compound.
The sprawling embassy complex, one of the largest U.S. diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones fired by Iran-aligned militias.
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. On Friday, the embassy renewed its Level 4 security alert for Iraq, warning that Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups have previously carried out attacks against U.S. citizens, interests and infrastructure, and “may continue to target them.”
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