Judge Juan Merchan and former President Donald Trump. AP/Getty Images
Published April 6, 2024
Washington CNN — Former President Donald Trump recently ramped up his attacks against the daughter of the judge presiding over his hush-money criminal trial in New York, and repeatedly cited her Democratic ties in a new attempt this week to remove the judge from the case.
Judge Juan Merchan then broadened an already-existing gag order Monday after Trump vilified Merchan’s daughter with a combination of accurate information about her political affiliations melded with dubious claims about her supposed anti-Trump online posts, which the court says don’t even belong to her.
The judge ruled that Trump’s “dangerous rhetoric” threatens the integrity of the looming trial, which is scheduled to begin April 15. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover-up payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in order to prevent her from speaking publicly before the 2016 election about their alleged affair.
Here are the facts about Trump’s recent attacks against Merchan’s daughter, and how this sideshow could affect the first-ever criminal trial of a former American president.
What did Trump claim?
Three is a well-documented pattern of Trump attacking witnesses and bashing judges when he doesn’t like their testimony or rulings. He deployed this same tactic in the New York case, but went even farther by targeting Merchan’s adult daughter, Loren Merchan.
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SOURCE: www.cnn.com
RELATED: Trump mounts new push to recuse judge in hush money case
Published April 6, 2024
Former President Trump on Friday demanded his hush money judge recuse himself from the upcoming trial, now less than two weeks away, over his daughter’s firm’s digital marketing work for prominent Democrats.
Last summer, Justice Juan Merchan rejected an earlier recusal motion that also cited his daughter’s employment.
Trump’s second attempt comes after Merchan limited Trump’s public statements about the judge’s daughter and others. The judge has also grown perturbed by Trump’s last-minute tactics to stave off the April 15 start date, which is slated to be the former president’s first criminal trial.
Trump’s lawyers argued that Merchan’s daughter, Loren, has a “direct financial interest” in the former president’s case, noting that two clients of her firm, the progressive digital agency Authentic, are President Biden and Vice President Harris.
“Personal political views may not be a basis for recusal. But profiting from the promotion of a political agenda that is hostile to President Trump, and has included fundraising solicitations based on this case, must be,” Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote in a 37-page motion. “Accordingly, President Trump respectfully requests that the Court recuse itself.”
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SOURCE: www.thehill.com
RELATED: Trump mounts new push to recuse judge in hush money case
Published April 6, 2024
Former President Trump on Friday demanded his hush money judge recuse himself from the upcoming trial, now less than two weeks away, over his daughter’s firm’s digital marketing work for prominent Democrats.
Last summer, Justice Juan Merchan rejected an earlier recusal motion that also cited his daughter’s employment.
Trump’s second attempt comes after Merchan limited Trump’s public statements about the judge’s daughter and others. The judge has also grown perturbed by Trump’s last-minute tactics to stave off the April 15 start date, which is slated to be the former president’s first criminal trial.
Trump’s lawyers argued that Merchan’s daughter, Loren, has a “direct financial interest” in the former president’s case, noting that two clients of her firm, the progressive digital agency Authentic, are President Biden and Vice President Harris.
“Personal political views may not be a basis for recusal. But profiting from the promotion of a political agenda that is hostile to President Trump, and has included fundraising solicitations based on this case, must be,” Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote in a 37-page motion. “Accordingly, President Trump respectfully requests that the Court recuse itself.”
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SOURCE: www.fox28savannah.com
