On Monday, a New York judge confirmed President-elect Donald Trump’s felony conviction for falsifying records related to a “hush money” scandal, dismissing his argument that a recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity invalidated his case in Manhattan.

This ruling by Judge Juan Merchan maintains Trump’s criminal conviction, although he plans to contest it through his spokesman.

Should Merchan’s decision stand, Trump would be the first criminal felon to assume the presidency when he takes office on January 20, 2025. The judge’s ruling counters just one of several attempts Trump is making to clear his criminal record prior to returning to the White House.

In a different matter, Trump urged Judge Merchan to dismiss the entire New York criminal case based on his recent election win, but no decision was made on that request during Monday’s ruling.

In his detailed 41-page ruling, Merchan supported the Manhattan district attorney’s office, stating that while the Supreme Court has granted presidents substantial immunity for their official actions, Trump’s wrongful conduct fell outside that scope—classifying it as unofficial behavior.

Merchan stated that the actions for which Trump was found guilty were “deeply personal actions,” involving the falsification of business records that did not infringe upon the authority of the Executive Branch, including his actions as president.

These “unofficial” actions included Trump’s attempts to alter records connected to payments made to Stormy Daniels, who had threatened to disclose claims of an affair with Trump just before the 2016 election, as concluded by Merchan.

Furthermore, Merchan reasoned that it’s logical to view the record falsification to hide these payments as an unofficial act, along with the communications that aimed to maintain this cover-up.

In response to Merchan’s ruling, Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung released a statement that did not explicitly mention an appeal, but asserted that Trump would persist in challenging what he called a politically motivated “witch hunt,” which he claimed contradicts the Supreme Court’s ruling on immunity and established legal principles.

Cheung remarked, “This unfounded case should have never been initiated, and the Constitution requires its immediate dismissal so that President Trump can carry out the essential duties of the presidency during the transition, free from any obstruction from this or other similar pursuits. The quicker these fabrications cease, the sooner our country can unite behind President Trump for the benefit of all Americans.”

The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg chose not to comment.

Trump and his legal team had requested that Merchan annul his conviction regarding the hush money charges based on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity.

The Supreme Court’s decision from July 1—issued by justices appointed by Republicans—has already made headlines by eliminating parts of Trump’s federal election interference indictment, potentially granting him further protection from another criminal trial in 2024, and possibly strengthening his position in a future presidential term.

However, this ruling is considered a significant advantage for Trump, as one aspect raised doubts about the evidence from the criminal trial he previously lost.

Trump was convicted on May 30 in Manhattan of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a conspiracy aimed at unlawfully interfering with the 2016 presidential election through hush payments to Daniels.