Justice Juan Merchan on Wednesday denied Donald Trump‘s request for withdrawing from the case involving hush money paid to a porn star, marking the third time the judge has declined to step aside. Trump’s lawyers had argued that Merchan’s daughter’s work for a political consultancy posed a conflict of interest, but the judge dismissed their claim, stating that they had “merely repeated arguments that have already been denied by this and higher courts” and were “rife with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims.”
Trump was convicted on May 30 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for covering up his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen’s $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 US election.
The payment to Daniels was made in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier, which he has denied.
Despite the controversy, Trump went on to win the presidency in 2016 by defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton. Merchan had previously rejected recusal requests in April before jury selection and last year after an ethics panel found no reasonable questions about hisa impartiality.
During the trial, Trump criticised Merchan on social media, calling him a “highly conflicted” overseer of a “kangaroo court” and claiming that the judge’s daughter “makes money by working to ‘Get Trump.'” These comments contributed to Merchan’s decision to expand a gag order, prohibiting the former president from publicly commenting on family members of court staff or prosecutors.
Trump’s lawyers have also asked the judge to throw out his conviction in light of a recent US Supreme Court ruling granting former presidents broad immunity from prosecution for official acts taken in office. Merchan is expected to decide on Trump’s arguments by September 16.
Trump was convicted on May 30 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for covering up his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen’s $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 US election.
The payment to Daniels was made in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier, which he has denied.
Despite the controversy, Trump went on to win the presidency in 2016 by defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton. Merchan had previously rejected recusal requests in April before jury selection and last year after an ethics panel found no reasonable questions about hisa impartiality.
During the trial, Trump criticised Merchan on social media, calling him a “highly conflicted” overseer of a “kangaroo court” and claiming that the judge’s daughter “makes money by working to ‘Get Trump.'” These comments contributed to Merchan’s decision to expand a gag order, prohibiting the former president from publicly commenting on family members of court staff or prosecutors.
Trump’s lawyers have also asked the judge to throw out his conviction in light of a recent US Supreme Court ruling granting former presidents broad immunity from prosecution for official acts taken in office. Merchan is expected to decide on Trump’s arguments by September 16.
Source : Times of India
