Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, believes that the Republican efforts to challenge Donald Trump‘s New York criminal conviction are unlikely to succeed.
Mariotti, who previously served in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Northern Illinois, shared his views on MSNBC. The discussion centered on reports that Republicans may try to shift Trump’s hush-money case from state court to federal court.
During the segment, host Alex Witt asked Mariotti if Republicans could save Trump from his legal troubles. Mariotti’s response was, “They can’t. Trump has been convicted, and that won’t change before his sentencing in July.”
In a New York City trial last month, Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts related to falsifying business records linked to payments to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump, who has continuously dismissed the case as a “witch hunt,” plans to appeal the verdict, maintaining his innocence.
Despite Trump’s push to overturn the conviction, Mariotti doubts the potential impact. Even if Republicans manage to move the case to federal court, Mariotti believes the legal outcomes won’t change significantly as New York law still governs.
Moving beyond Trump’s case, some Republicans, including Representative Russell Fry, are exploring legislative measures to shift state-level cases against presidents to the federal domain, potentially limiting the authority of district attorneys like Alvin Bragg.
Fry has been advocating for such legislation, originally introduced in 2023, and now moving towards a possible vote on the House floor. He emphasizes that the concept is not entirely novel and is gaining traction among House members as they become more acquainted with it.