President Trump will claim that he was the “target” of a “misuse” of criminal law as he appeals his conviction in the Manhattan hush money case that branded him a convicted felon, his new lawyer said.
The commander-in-chief’s newly hired attorney Robert Giuffra, from the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, took a dig at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg after filing a notice of appeal Tuesday morning.
“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,” Giuffra said in a statement.
The lawyer added that Trump’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.”
A Manhattan jury in May found Trump guilty of 34 counts of felony falsifying business records for concealing a payoff to former porn star Stormy Daniels that hid a sex scandal from voters in 2016.
Trump, 78, was sentenced on Jan. 10 to a no-penalty “unconditional discharge” — the most lenient possible sentence — but his conviction remains intact.
The appeal will first play out at New York’s mid-level Appellate Division court, and then could be heard by the state’s highest court, the State Court of Appeals in Albany.
Trump’s lawyers are expected to file more detailed legal papers laying out their arguments for why the conviction should be scuttled in the coming months. Prosecutors with DA Bragg’s office will then respond in their own court papers.
Giuffra is being joined on the case by fellow Sullivan & Cromwell lawyers Matthew Schwartz, James McDonald, Morgan Ratner and Jeff Wall, court records show.
Trump had been expected to retain new lawyers for the appeal after tapping two of the lead attorneys in his Manhattan case, Emil Bove and Todd Blanche, for high-ranking Justice Department gigs.
Bove is currently serving as active U.S deputy attorney general, the second-highest-ranking Justice Department post.
Blanche will take over the lofty position if he is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, according to Trump.
