Former President Donald Trump’s New York “hush money” trial got underway on Monday, and the trial started with plenty of drama.
According to The Hill, Judge Juan Merchan, whose daughter has a history of anti-Trump activism, refused to recuse himself from the trial after Trump filed a request for him to do so.
The judge ruled on Monday that he would not be refusing himself from the trial, which if he had, would have tossed quite a large wrench in the gears.
Judge Merchan said Trump’s request for his recusal was based on “a series of references, innuendos and unsupported speculation.”
No longer entertaining it
The judge ruled that “The defendants’ second motion for recusal is denied,” adding that it was the final time he would consider such a request.
Trump has never held back his feelings toward Merchan, and previously attempted to have him recused from the trial. The former president has argued that because of the judge’s daughter’s political connections and former employment, the judge is naturally biased against him.
Trump has also argued that beside that, he could never receive a truly fair trial in deep blue New York City.
The Hill noted:
Like his earlier recusal motion, Trump’s latest effort took aim at Merchan’s daughter for her employment at Authentic, a progressive digital agency that has boasted the Biden-Harris campaign and other prominent Democrats as clients.
Trump’s lawyers have also pointed out that Judge Merchan has donated money to President Joe Biden’s campaign as well as two liberal groups, calling into question his ability to be impartial.
It’s bad
Trump’s lawyers noted in their latest request to have Merchan recuse himself that his daughter’s employer has other clients that have campaigned against Trump.
“Authentic and Your Honor’s daughter are making money by supporting the creation and dissemination of campaign advocacy for President Trump’s opponent, political rivals, and the Democrat party,” his lawyers wrote.
Not surprisingly, DA Bragg and his team of prosecutors argued that Trump and his lawyers’ request was merely an attempt to delay the trial.
“Instead, defendant’s motion is nothing more than his latest effort to delay the forthcoming trial; and—in both timing and substance—appears transparently reverse-engineered to provide an ex post justification for defendant’s attacks on the Court and the Court’s family. This Court should reject defendant’s dilatory tactic and deny the motion,” Bragg’s office wrote.
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Author: Ryan Ledendecker
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