Donald Trump invokes Hunter Biden's pardon to demand Hush Money Case dismissal

President-elect Donald Trump on Dec 3 sought dismissal of the criminal case where he was convicted on 34 felony charges related to hush money payments made to a porn star, arguing that President Joe Biden used similar reasoning to pardon his son, Hunter Biden.

Trump's lawyers urged Justice Juan Merchan in Manhattan to overturn the guilty verdict and dismiss the charges, arguing that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case could hinder Trump's ability to govern if it remains unresolved after he takes office on Jan 20 next year.

The 78-year-old was found guilty of having falsified business records to conceal a USD 130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence her from revealing the alleged extramarital affair between the two during the final stretch of the 2016 election campaign.

Trump, however, has never accepted having an affair with Daniels.

US President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter on Dec 1, who was convicted earlier this year of tax evasion and illegally possessing a firearm. Biden had argued his son was "selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted" by the Department of Justice (DOJ) “only because he is my son.”

Trump's motion to dismiss the conviction charges was filed on Dec 2 with his legal team citing the arguments used by Biden to make their case to presiding judge Juan Merchan.

Judge Merchan, overseeing the only criminal case against Trump to go to trial, postponed the previously scheduled November 26 sentencing indefinitely last month to allow Trump time to pursue dismissal of the charges.