New York. A New York judge overseeing the hush-money case involving former US President Donald Trump on Tuesday rejected the defendant’s request to recuse himself from the case for a third time, according to a decision published by the court.
New York County Supreme Court Judge Juan M. Merchan said the defendant had provided nothing new for the court to consider and that his legal team had merely repeated arguments that have been rejected by this court or higher courts.
“The insinuations and mischaracterizations” do not create a conflict of interest and therefore the recusal is not necessary, much less required, the judge said in the decision.
In the most recent motion filed on July 31, 2024, Trump’s lawyers argued that the relationship between U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and a member of the court’s family justifies recusal.
Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, reportedly worked as a political consultant for prominent Democrats and campaigns, including Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Trump’s legal team also filed similar motions on May 31, 2023, and April 3, 2024.
Judge Merchan is scheduled to rule on Trump’s motion to set aside the jury verdict on Sept. 6 and will issue a ruling on Sept. 18 if a sentence is still needed.
The sentencing date was postponed from July 11 following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity on July 1.
In late May, a New York jury found Trump guilty of all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an attempt to conceal payments to a porn star to silence her in 2016.
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– 2024-08-18 14:25:39
