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President Trump recently filed a motion aimed at forcing the recusal of Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan amid a contentious extended gag order headed into next week’s scheduled start to the “hush money” trial in the heart of New York.
“President Trump’s legal team has filed a powerhouse motion for recusal of New York Judge Juan Merchan based on clear conflicts,” a Trump campaign statement announced on Friday.
The motion clocked in at 154 pages and included 22 exhibits related to Judge Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, and her alleged fundraising for Democrat clients utilizing the high-profile case involving Donald Trump that her father is overseeing.
The filing argued:
“The Court’s interest in these proceedings by virtue of the close relationship with an immediate relative, and Ms. Merchan’s ongoing receipt of commercial and reputational benefits based on the manner in which Your Honor has conducted these proceedings, requires recusal based on an actual conflict and an unacceptable appearance of impropriety. This is easily illustrated by the fact that it would be completely unacceptable to most New Yorkers if the judge presiding over these proceedings had an adult child who worked at WinRed or MAGA Inc.”
On Monday, The New York Times reported that Trump was poised to potentially bring a lawsuit against Judge Merchan as he seeks to delay the trial start date amidst a heated election cycle.
According to their report, the action may be filed in an appeals court and take aim at challenging the expansive gag order that Merchan placed on Trump.
Over the weekend, Trump seemed to dare Merchan to arrest him for violating the gag order in long statement posted to Truth Social.
He wrote, “If this Partisan Hack wants to put me in the ‘clink’ for speaking the open and obvious TRUTH, I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson Mandela – It will be my GREAT HONOR. We have to Save our Country from these Political Operatives masquerading as Prosecutors and Judges, and I am willing to sacrifice my Freedom for that worthy cause. We are a Failing Nation, but on November 5th, we will become a Great Nation again. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”