In a firm decision released Wednesday morning, Judge Juan Merchan has once again denied former President Donald Trump’s repeated efforts to remove him from the New York criminal hush money case due to an alleged conflict of interest.
Merchan’s three-page order expressed clear frustration, stating, “Stated plainly, Defendant’s arguments are nothing more than a repetition of stale and unsubstantiated claims.”
This issue arose earlier in the month when Trump’s legal team claimed that Judge Merchan had a conflict of interest due to Vice President Kamala Harris’ run for president and the judge’s daughter working as a political consultant. This argument had already been dismissed twice before.
Judge Merchan’s Strong Words
Judge Merchan called Trump’s third request to recuse himself, “nothing more than an attempt to air grievances against this court’s rulings.” He sharply criticized Trump’s lawyers, accusing them of making “inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims.”
“Defendant has provided nothing new for this Court to consider,” Merchan said. “Counsel has merely repeated arguments that have already been denied by this and higher courts. Defense Counsel’s reliance, and apparent citation to his own prior affirmation, rife with inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims, is unavailing.”
The judge also called out the defense attorneys for contesting the limited gag order in place for the case, which had already been ratified by a mid-level appeals court in New York.
“It is therefore difficult to rationalize how Defense Counsel can, in good faith, claim the Order is unconstitutional,” Merchan remarked.
Trump’s Conviction and Upcoming Decisions
Back in May, Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records tied to a 2016 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, aimed at boosting his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump plans to appeal the decision.
With the recusal motion now denied, Merchan is expected to make a ruling next month on Trump’s motion to dismiss the case, which cites a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. The Supreme Court recently decided that Trump has presumptive immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken while in office.
The sentencing in the hush money case remains slated for September 18.
Merchan concluded his order with a strong commitment to fairness, stating, “As has been the standard throughout the pendency of this case, this court will continue to base its rulings on the evidence and the law, without fear or favor, casting aside undue influence.”
