Donald Trump’s legal team filed a second motion on Friday seeking Judge Juan Merchan’s recusal from the upcoming trial involving the former president’s business records.
This motion follows a similar attempt earlier in the week, which cited concerns related to the financial interests of Judge Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, and alleged bias.
Donald J Trump (Credits: Medpage Today)
The filing comes shortly after Judge Merchan decided to block Trump’s subpoena of NBCUniversal regarding a recent documentary featuring former adult film actress Stormy Daniels, a key figure in the impending trial scheduled to commence on April 15. Merchan deemed Trump’s claims of being harmed by the documentary unfounded and characterized the subpoena as a “fishing expedition.”
Merchan had previously expanded the gag order on Trump, extending protections to his family. In response, Trump’s latest filing heavily references Loren Merchan’s role as a Democratic consultant at Authentic Campaigns, emphasizing her potential bias against Trump, evident in her social media activity and public statements.
Donald Trump (Credits: Times of India)
The motion contends that Judge Merchan’s daughter’s financial stake and expressed opinions create a conflict of interest in the proceedings. This is not the first time Trump’s legal team has raised concerns about Loren Merchan’s employment; a similar motion was rejected by Merchan last summer.
The criminal trial revolves around allegations that Trump concealed attorney Michael Cohen’s payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels to maintain her silence about an alleged affair before the 2016 election.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing, pleading not guilty to charges of falsifying business records and consistently refuting allegations of an affair with Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford.
