Former President Donald Trump is said to be initiating legal action against New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan in an appeals court, aiming to contest the extensive gag order imposed by Merchan.
Merchan, who is overseeing the criminal case in New York, enforced the gag order on Trump following revelations of a link between Merchan’s daughter and conspiracy theorist Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA). Trump asserts that Merchan should disqualify himself from the case, highlighting a conflict of interest due to his daughter’s involvement with a Democratic consulting firm that backed President Biden’s 2020 campaign.
The New York Times reported:
“The lawsuit was not immediately made public, but court records showed on Monday that Mr. Trump was filing an action against the judge, Juan M. Merchan, in an 11th-hour bid to delay the case. An online court docket where Mr. Trump is filing the action showed that the related paperwork was sealed. And the appeals court might act fast to reject it. A single appeals court judge will most likely issue a preliminary ruling on Monday, setting up a full five-judge panel to consider Mr. Trump’s request in the coming days. Mr. Trump’s lawyers have tried several times to delay the trial, but this is their first attempt in an appeals court. The former president, who is again the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is aiming to push all four of his criminal cases past Election Day. If he wins, the cases are likely to grind to a halt.”
The restriction on public comments, as highlighted by Breitbart News’ Nick Gilbertson, prohibits Trump from discussing the involvement of witnesses in the trial, any counsel other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D), court and District Attorney’s staff members, as well as the family members of any counsel or staff member. These statements are prohibited if they are intended to significantly disrupt the work of the counsel or staff on the case. Additionally, the gag order also applies to potential jurors.
On Saturday, Trump expressed his willingness to be imprisoned, comparing himself to a modern-day Nelson Mandela, for bravely speaking the truth about Merchan.
