Former President Donald Trump is attempting to have the judge in his hush-money criminal trial removed just days before the trial is scheduled to begin. Trump’s lawyers are urging Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan to step aside from the case, citing bias and a conflict of interest because the judge’s daughter is a Democratic political consultant. The judge previously rejected a similar request last August. Trump’s lawyers claim that it is improper for Merchan to preside over the proceedings while his daughter benefits financially and reputationally from the case interfering with Trump’s campaign as the presumptive Republican nominee.
The trial is set to begin on April 15 and would be the first-ever criminal trial of a former president. The judge has not yet made a decision on Trump’s request for him to step aside. If Merchan were to exit the case, it would disrupt the trial schedule and potentially lead to a postponement while a new judge is appointed. The Manhattan district attorney’s office sees no reason for Merchan to recuse himself from the case and believes the defense’s claims about his daughter’s involvement are unsubstantiated.
In a separate development, Merchan blocked Trump’s lawyers from obtaining materials related to a documentary about porn actor Stormy Daniels, a key prosecution witness in the case. The judge ruled that the defense’s subpoena was a “fishing expedition” and did not meet the legal burden for requiring a news organization to provide access to its notes and documents. Trump has also requested a delay in the trial until the Supreme Court rules on presidential immunity claims raised in another criminal case.
Trump has criticized Merchan and his daughter on social media, suggesting that the judge’s rulings have been influenced by his daughter’s consulting interests. The judge has expanded a gag order against Trump to prohibit him from making public statements about his family. Trump’s lawyers argue that the circumstances have changed with Trump’s candidacy for president and Democrats seeking to capitalize on his legal troubles. They also raised concerns about the judge’s interview with The Associated Press and his use of a court spokesperson to deny Trump’s claims about his daughter.
Despite the defense’s efforts to have Merchan recuse himself from the case, the judge has maintained that he is impartial and intends to follow the law in the trial against Trump. He previously rejected a recusal request last year, stating that he was able to be fair and impartial. The defense’s claims about his daughter’s involvement in Democratic causes and his own political donations have not been found to impact his ability to preside over the case. The decision on whether Merchan will remain as the judge in the trial is up to him.
