The judge in former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial said he will not recuse himself on Wednesday. This is the third time that Trump’s defense has tried to get Justice Juan Merchan off the case on claims that his daughter’s job as a Democratic consultant compromises his ability to be fair and impartial.
As the Republican presidential nominee, and now that President Joe Biden has dropped out of the race, Trump will run against Vice President Kamala Harris. In a filing, Trump’s attorneys said Merchan’s daughter has worked with Harris and, therefore, “she has obtained — and stands to obtain in the future — extensive financial, professional, and personal benefits from her relationship with Harris,” per ABC News.
Last year, an ethics panel deemed that Merchan’s ability to be impartial cannot be questioned because of a family member’s occupation or political views.
The “Defendant has provided nothing new for this Court to consider. Counsel has merely repeated arguments that have already been denied by this and higher courts,” Merchan said in his dismissal to recuse himself, according to CBS News. “Defense Counsel’s reliance, and apparent citation to his own prior affirmation, rife with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims, is unavailing.”
Trump was found guilty by a New York jury in April on all 34 criminal counts brought against him by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The case centered around alleged “hush money” payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels by Trump’s then-attorney, Michael Cohen, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump has since attempted to overturn the conviction on grounds of “presidential immunity” following the Supreme Court’s July decision.
Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, said Merchan has a “personal bias” against the presidential nominee, per CNN.
“The whole witch hunt was rotten from the start and it should now be dismissed entirely as the partisan hoax that it is,” he added. “President Trump will continue to fight this scam, and will always do all he can to save this great country from the dangerously liberal Harris-Biden mess.”
Trump also posted to his Truth Social account Wednesday, complaining of the gag order still placed on him by Merchan.
“Judge Merchan just ruled that I, the Republican candidate for President, and leading in the Polls, am still under a Gag Order CONCERNING VERY IMPORTANT THINGS WHICH MUST BE BROUGHT TO LIGHT. I AM NOT ALLOWED TO ANSWER REPORTERS QUESTIONS. Can you believe this? The New York Courts refuse to act. This is happening right before the voting begins on September 6th.”
Merchan has said he will rule on the immunity claim on Sept. 16 and set Sept. 18 for “the imposition of sentence or other proceedings as appropriate,” per The Associated Press.