Donald Trump has failed for the third time to remove the judge who will sentence him in the hush money case.
On Wednesday, Trump’s lawyers once again argued that Judge Juan Merchan should recuse himself due to a “perceived conflict of interest,” citing his daughter’s work for a Democrat-leaning organization. However, Merchan rejected these claims, calling them “repetition of stale and unsubstantiated” arguments.
In May, a jury convicted Trump of 34 felonies for covering up payments to silence former adult star Stormy Daniels regarding an alleged affair. Trump’s legal team also seeks to overturn the verdict based on a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, with Merchan set to consider this request on September 16. Depending on the outcome, Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for September 18.
Despite the rejection by a New York State ethics panel of concerns over Merchan’s handling of the case, Trump’s legal team continues to insist that the judge’s independence is compromised. Trump’s attempts to delay his multiple trials until after the November election, including those in Washington and Georgia related to the 2020 election, remain ongoing.
