NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� has appealed his hush money conviction, seeking to erase the verdict that made him the first person with a criminal record to win the office.
Trump鈥檚 lawyers filed a notice of appeal Wednesday, asking the state鈥檚 mid-level appeals court to overturn his conviction last May on .
The case, involving an alleged scheme to hide to porn actor Stormy Daniels during Trump鈥檚 2016 Republican campaign, was the only one of his criminal cases to go to trial.
A notice of appeal starts the appeals process in New York. Trump鈥檚 lawyers will have an opportunity to expand on their grievances in subsequent court filings.
The Manhattan district attorney鈥檚 office, which prosecuted the case, will have a chance to respond in court papers. A message seeking comment was left with the office Wednesday.
Trump hired a new legal team from the firm Sullivan & Cromwell LLP to handle the appeal, spearheaded by the firm鈥檚 co-chair Robert J. Giuffra Jr.
Giuffra and four other lawyers from his firm stepped in after the president tabbed his two main defense lawyers, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, for top positions in his administration鈥檚 Justice Department.
鈥淧resident Donald J. Trump鈥檚 appeal is important for the rule of law, New York鈥檚 reputation as a global business, financial and legal center, as well as for the presidency and all public officials,鈥� Giuffra said in a statement provided by a Trump spokesperson. 鈥淭he 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."
Trump was sentenced Jan. 10 to what鈥檚 known as an unconditional discharge, leaving his conviction on the books but sparing him jail, probation, a fine or other punishment.
The Republican had long vowed to appeal but couldn鈥檛 do so until he was sentenced.
The trial judge, Juan M. Merchan, previously rejected Trump鈥檚 requests to throw out the conviction on presidential immunity grounds and in light of his return to the White House.
Appearing by video at his sentencing, he called the case a 鈥減olitical witch hunt,鈥� 鈥渁 weaponization of government鈥� and 鈥渁n embarrassment to New York.鈥�
A Manhattan jury convicted Trump last May of falsifying business records kept in the gilded halls of his eponymous real estate empire.
While the specific charges were about checks and ledgers, the underlying accusations were seamy and deeply entangled with Trump鈥檚 political rise.
Prosecutors said Trump mislabeled payments to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen as legal fees in order to conceal what they really were: reimbursement for $130,000 that Cohen paid Daniels to keep quiet in the homestretch of Trump鈥檚 2016 presidential run.
At the time, Daniels was considering going public with a claim that she and the married Trump had a 2006 sexual encounter. He says they never did.
Trump denied any wrongdoing. He and his attorneys said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses.
鈥淔or this I got indicted,鈥� Trump said at his sentencing. 鈥淚t鈥檚 incredible, actually.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 lawyers also argued that Trump wanted to squelch claims like Daniels鈥� to protect his family, not his campaign, from what he says were falsehoods.
Trump won鈥檛 be able to pardon himself. Trump鈥檚 case was tried in state court, but presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes.
Michael R. Sisak And Jennifer Peltz, The Associated Press
