New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (Democratic) said President-elect Trump needs to show remorse if he wants a pardon for his hush-money conviction.
“The pardon process is underway in New York State. It's long.” Hochul said Wednesday. At an unrelated press conference. “It requires several elements. One is regret.”
Hochul said no one is treated better or worse than another during the pardon process.
“As I review petitions that come in throughout the year, I know that no one will be treated better or worse by me as I make this life-changing decision,” she said. said. “So no one gets any extra favors or gets treated worse.”
Judge Juan Melchan on Monday rejected Trump's latest effort to throw out the guilty verdict and conviction in the criminal hush money case.
The president-elect claimed that during his trial, the Manhattan district attorney's office presented jurors with five categories of evidence that contradicted the Supreme Court's presidential immunity ruling earlier this year.
Marchand has not yet ruled on Trump's efforts to throw out the case completely now that he is president again.
Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the $130,000 hush money he paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. This is the first criminal prosecution of a former president.
Because this is a state court conviction, neither President Biden's presidential pardon nor Trump's own pardon after taking office applies to this case. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes.
