Judge in Trump indictment case has ties to former president.

Judge in Trump’s Criminal Case Worked for Group That Provided Services to Him

A judge who is deciding whether to move former President Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal case to federal court worked for a group that provided services to Trump back when he was a private practice lawyer.

Conflict of Interest?

In a recent court filing, Judge Alvin Hellerstein revealed that he once worked for the law firm Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, which provided legal services to Trump-Equitable Fifth Avenue, the former owner of Trump Tower in Manhattan. However, Hellerstein retired from the firm in 1998 and does not believe this poses a conflict of interest.

Impartiality Not Questioned

“In my opinion, my impartiality cannot reasonably be questioned and no appearance of impropriety exists,” Hellerstein wrote in the filing to Trump’s attorneys and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. He has set a court hearing for June 27 to determine whether Trump’s criminal case will be moved out of state court and into federal court.

The Charges Against Trump

Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments he and his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign. The payments were intended to prevent Daniels from going public about an alleged affair she had with the former president in 2005.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case accuses Trump of orchestrating a “catch and kill” scheme during the 2016 presidential cycle to bury negative stories about him. The former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Trump’s Bid to Avoid State Court Trial

In early May, Trump’s legal team filed a motion to have the case transferred to federal court in a bid to avoid a state court trial slated to begin next year. His lawyers argued that the case “involves important federal questions since the indictment charges President Trump for conduct committed while he was president of the United States.”

What’s Next?

Hellerstein has made it clear that “proceedings may continue in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County,” while Trump’s motion waits to be heard in court. The decision on whether to move the case to federal court will be made on June 27. Stay tuned for updates.

• Will Trump’s legal team be successful in moving the case to federal court?
• What impact will this have on the case?
• What does this mean for Trump’s future legal battles?

Only time will tell. Keep following the Washington Examiner for the latest developments.