On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, CNBC reported that former President Donald Trump lashed out at the judge presiding over his criminal hush money case, accusing him of bias as the trial date approached next month.
Trump made several posts on his Truth Social platform criticizing New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case where Trump faces charges of falsifying business records related to payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump referred to Merchan as a “distinguished looking man” who is nevertheless a “true and certified Trump Hater.”
The former president also took aim at Merchan’s daughter, who had previously worked as a senior executive at a progressive political consulting firm that represented several prominent Democrats, including President Joe Biden. Trump argued this represented a conflict of interest and that Merchan “SHOULD RECUSE HIMSELF” from the case.
However, Merchan declined to recuse himself last year, stating it would not be in the public interest. He affirmed his ability to be fair and impartial. On Monday, Merchan had also rejected arguments from Trump’s attorneys seeking to delay the trial, scheduling it to begin on April 15.
Trump’s attorneys have previously urged Merchan’s recusal, citing the political clients of Merchan’s daughter’s former employer as problematic, given the case could influence the 2024 presidential election. They claimed the case appearance of potential bias.
In his posts, Trump also criticized Merchan’s handling of a previous case involving charges against former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. Weisselberg had pleaded guilty last year to tax fraud charges and faced jail time for allegedly lying under oath in a separate civil trial.
The flurry of criticism from Trump came after a trading debut of the company that owns Truth Social, where the stock price rose sharply. It provided a major windfall for the former president’s majority stake in the new company, valued at around $4 billion.
Source: CNBC
