Trump's last-ditch push to derail hush money case fails
Donald Trump lost another appeal Thursday in his ongoing hush money trial in Manhattan criminal court, according to a new report.
Trump's demand that Justice Juan Merchan be removed from overseeing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case was denied, ABC News reported Thursday. It comes just days before the jury is expected to start deliberations.
Trump stands accused of 34 felony counts involving the falsification of business records involving a hush money scheme to conceal an alleged affair.
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According to Trump and his lawyers' demand, Merchan is "conflicted" because his daughter worked for Democrats. Before the trial began Merchan requested a review from a judicial ethics board, which cleared him of the conflict.
But Trump's team maintained that it is still stopping a fair trial and that Merchan should recuse himself or be removed from the case. It went to the appeals court after a lower court rejected his claim.
On Thursday, the appeals court sided with the lower court.
"Petitioner has failed to establish that the court acted in excess of its jurisdiction by denying his motion," the order said. "Petitioner also has not established that he has a clear right to recusal."
The judges also found problems with the defense appeal, saying it was "procedurally improper." Trump had known about the matter for a year and did not immediately seek recusal when his team learned of the daughter's work, the found.
Trump was also denied his demand to change the venue of the trial to a jurisdiction where he could get a different jury, after he claimed that the demographics of Manhattan meant jurors were liked Democratic.
The defense rested its case earlier this week and, to accommodate the upcoming holiday, closing statements aren't expected to begin until Tuesday.