Donald Trump takes another loss in Stormy Daniels hush money case

New York, New York - Donald Trump's effort to boot the judge presiding over his Manhattan hush money case failed resoundingly, according to court papers made public Monday.

Ex-President Donald Trump's request that the judge in charge of his hush money payments case in Manhattan be removed has been denied.
Ex-President Donald Trump's request that the judge in charge of his hush money payments case in Manhattan be removed has been denied.  © TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP

State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan rejected the former president's recusal motion on all grounds.

"(This) Court has examined its conscience and is certain in its ability to be fair and impartial," Merchan wrote in his decision.

Trump is charged with 34 felonies in the case alleging he covered up an illegal payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election paid by his former fixer Michael Cohen. He has pleaded not guilty.

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Trump’s May 31 motion sought to get Merchan off the case, claiming the judge's daughter stood to profit from his downfall at her job at a digital agency that represents primarily Democratic candidates.

The former president also argued that small-dollar donations to Democrats from the judge represented an impartiality issue.

He further pointed to Merchan’s handling of Trump Organization CEO Allen Weisselberg’s 2022 conviction, claiming it showed "a preconceived bias against President Trump" despite the lenient term imposed.

Trump has been charged with covering up hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2020 presidential elections.
Trump has been charged with covering up hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2020 presidential elections.  © MANDEL NGAN, JOE RAEDLE / AFP / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA

Regarding Merchan's daughter, the judge noted that the New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics on May 4 found the case didn't relate to her job directly or indirectly, and that there was nothing "to suggest that the outcome of the case could have any effect on the judge’s relative, the relative’s business, or any of their interests."

"[Trump] has failed to demonstrate that there exists concrete, or even realistic reasons for recusal to be appropriate, much less required on these grounds," Merchan wrote in his Friday decision.

"The speculative and hypothetical scenarios offered by [Trump] fall well short of the legal standard."

The case is the first of four to result in an indictment for Trump, who on Monday evening saw serious criminal charges filed as part of a probe into attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. He has also been accused of mishandling classified documents and faces federal charges of subverting the 2020 elections.

Cover photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP

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