Donald Trump has requested that the judge in his “hush money” criminal case recuse himself due to his daughter’s work for prominent Democrats, as the trial is set to start in 10 days. The daughter, Loren Merchan, works at consulting firm Authentic Campaigns for Trump foes like Rep. Adam Schiff. The judge has denied claims of any conflict of interest, stating there is no evidence that the case could impact his daughter’s business. Trump’s lawyers argue that the judge should step down due to new circumstances, including Trump being the presumptive GOP presidential nominee and his status as a political target for Authentic and its clients.
Authentic Campaigns, which employs Merchan, has received payments from clients like President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump’s attorneys argue that the judge’s daughter’s work for Democrats creates an appearance of impropriety in the case, alleging an “actual conflict.” They also point to social media posts by Merchan disparaging Trump, which they claim shows bias against the former president. Despite these arguments, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has stated that there is no new evidence to warrant the judge’s recusal.
In response to Trump’s attempts to delay the trial, the judge has issued an expanded gag order preventing Trump from criticizing Merchan’s daughter. Trump has reposted articles on his Truth Social page criticizing the judge’s daughter, despite the gag order. The court has denied Trump’s previous attempts to postpone the trial, which is scheduled to begin on April 15 and last over six weeks. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records, each carrying a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison.
Overall, Trump’s legal team is seeking to have the judge removed from the case due to his daughter’s connections to prominent Democrats and alleged conflicts of interest. The prosecution has argued that there is no new evidence to support this request and that the trial should proceed as scheduled. Despite the ongoing legal battles, Trump faces the possibility of a lengthy trial and potential prison sentence if convicted on the charges related to hush money payments. The case continues to draw national attention due to Trump’s high-profile status as a former president and presidential candidate.
