Lawyers for President-elect Donald Trump say they've received evidence of "grave juror misconduct" in the New York criminal case that resulted in his being convicted on 34 felony counts.
"The extensive and pervasive misconduct at issue violated President Trump's rights under the federal Constitution and New York law," Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote in a Dec. 3 letter that was unsealed Tuesday.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office declined to comment.
Trump’s attorneys told NBC News they wrote the letter after a juror in the case reached out to them. Details of the alleged misconduct were unclear. The letter is heavily redacted.
In a reply letter also unsealed Tuesday, the DA’s office called the misconduct allegations "vague" and said the office was told that the defense team's recitation of the reported misconduct “contains inaccuracies."
In an order Monday directing that the letter be made public, Judge Juan Merchan said it contained "unsworn and admittedly contested statements" that could threaten jurors' safety if it were posted in full on the public court docket.
An unredacted part of the letter says, “This behavior is completely unacceptable and it demonstrates without question that the verdicts in this case are as unreliable as DA Bragg’s promise to protect Manhattanites from violent crime."
The letter urged Merchan to "consider" the allegations while he decides on Trump's motions to dismiss the case, but Merchan said in his order Monday that he cannot do so.
“Allegations of juror misconduct should be thoroughly investigated. However, this Court is prohibited from deciding such claims on the basis of mere hearsay and conjecture," he wrote, noting that could change if Trump moved to set aside the verdict on the grounds of juror misconduct.
"Such a motion 'must contain sworn allegations,'" Merchan wrote.
He added, "Should a properly filed claim be submitted, these redactions will be revisited."
The DA's letter said Trump's attorneys told Merchan they did not want a hearing on the alleged misconduct and referred to the possibility as “invasive factfinding.”
Merchan on Monday denied Trump's bid to dismiss his conviction on charges of falsifying business records on the grounds of presidential immunity.
Trump unloaded on Merchan for that decision in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Tuesday, calling it a "completely illegal psychotic order."
Merchan "completely disrespected the United States Supreme Court, and its Historic Decision on Immunity," Trump added. "But even without Immunity, this illegitimate case is nothing but a Rigged Hoax."
Trump still has one more sweeping motion to dismiss the case pending before Merchan.
