Donald Trump’s lawyers have formally appealed his criminal conviction in New York on charges of falsifying business records, saying the case against the president was improperly based on “manufactured felony charges.”
“This is the most politically charged prosecution in our Nation’s history,” the filing begins.
“The DA, a Democrat, brought those charges in the middle of a contentious Presidential election in which President Trump was the leading Republican candidate,” the lawyers wrote. “These charges against President Trump were as unprecedented as their political context,” and involved “alleged conduct that has never been found to violate any New York law.”
“This case should never have seen the inside of a courtroom, let alone resulted in a conviction,” said the appeal, filed Monday with the state Appellate Division’s First Department, a mid-level appeals court.
The appeal seeks to have the entire case thrown out.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which prosecuted the case, declined to comment on Trump’s filing.
Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in May of last year. Prosecutors argued the records were falsified to cover up a hush money payment that Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump, who’s denied any wrongdoing, was sentenced to an “unconditional discharge” this past January, just 10 days before he was sworn-in as president. The sentence means he is a convicted felon in the eyes of New York state law, but faces no further penalties.