(LibertySons.org) – Former President Donald Trump is facing criminal charges of falsifying business records in order to cover up a hush-money payment allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. His attorneys have unsuccessfully tried to have the trial, which is slated to begin on April 15, delayed. Now, they’re attempting, once again, to have the judge recuse himself.
On Monday, April 1, Trump’s defense team filed a letter noting that there was a clear conflict of interest in the case and that Judge Juan M. Merchan should recuse himself. Of particular note, they allege Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, works for Authentic Campaigns, which creates an “ongoing financial interest,” posing “an unacceptable risk that the Court’s family relationships will influence judicial conduct.”
They called Judge Merchan’s impartiality into question and said there was reason to believe that his daughter would continue to benefit financially from the case.
Authentic Campaigns is an agency that provides media, fundraising, and digital marketing for political candidates. It previously served President Joe Biden in his efforts to win the 2020 election and has ties to several Democratic campaigns.
The prosecutor’s office noted that the recusal request not only contained no new information but was factually flawed and “failed to demonstrate” any “concrete or even realistic reasons” for the recusal. It called for an immediate denial of the request and called the defense’s efforts a “daisy chain of innuendos.”
Merchan had previously refused to recuse himself from the case in August 2023, citing there was no bias and no reason to believe the court would be anything but “fair and impartial.”
Trump is facing 34 charges in this trial and has pleaded not guilty to all of them. He was previously denied a request to delay the trial while awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision on whether he has presidential immunity. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on April 15.
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