On Tuesday, acting Judge Juan Merchan rejected Donald Trump’s latest bid to compel the judge to recuse himself from the New York criminal case, one of the four indictments lodged against the former president. It is the third time Trump’s legal team has requested Merchan step aside.
Trump’s recusal request alleged that the judge has a conflict of interest, citing Merchan’s daughter’s career. Loren Merchan works for a progressive political consulting firm whose clients include Trump’s political adversaries. Trump’s attorneys have claimed that Loren Merchan financially benefited from the New York criminal case overseen by her father.
‘New York is trying to steal the Election!’
According to Judge Merchan’s latest decision to reject the recusal motion, Trump’s lawyers provided “nothing new for this Court to consider.”
Trump’s team argued that Loren Merchan’s ties to Vice President Kamala Harris, particularly now that Harris is running against Trump in the upcoming election, warrants Judge Merchan’s recusal. However, the judge stated that the “alleged relationship” between the presidential candidate and “a member of this Court’s family” is the “same argument” that was already made by the defense in the previous two recusal motions.
Merchan stated that he found “no need to repeat the legal analysis” conducted as part of the first motion.
“This Court now reiterates for the third time, that which should already be clear — innuendo and mischaracterizations do not a conflict create,” Merchan wrote in his rejection. “Recusal is therefore not necessary, much less required.”
“Counsel has merely repeated arguments that have already been denied by this and higher courts,” Merchan continued. “Defense Counsel’s reliance, and apparent citation to his own prior affirmation, rife with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims, is unavailing.”
The House Judiciary Committee recently launched an investigation into Loren Merchan over her father’s potential conflict of interest regarding his daughter’s work.
Meanwhile, Trump is still subject to Merchan’s gag order, which prohibits him from publicly discussing court staff or their family members, which includes Loren Merchan.
Trump responded to the judge’s refusal to lift the gag order in a post on Truth Social, stating that the restrictions are preventing him from answering reporters’ questions amid his presidential campaign.
“Suppression and manipulation of the vote. Voter interference. This is the real Fascist ‘stuff,’ the old Soviet Union! So much to say, and I’m not allowed to say it. Must get U.S. Supreme Court involved. New York is trying to steal the Election!” Trump wrote.
In May, Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the New York case. Judge Merchan previously agreed with Trump’s motion to postpone sentencing until September after the Supreme Court ruled on the former president’s immunity claim in a separate federal case.
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