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Judge denies Donald Trump’s request to withdraw from hush money criminal case

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Donald Trump’s attempt to have a new judge in his hush money case has been denied by Judge Juan M. Merchan. This decision comes as the case is approaching a crucial ruling and potential sentencing next month. The request, which was the third of its kind from the lawyers representing the Republican presidential nominee, was based on the argument that Judge Merchan had a conflict of interest due to his daughter’s role as a political consultant for prominent Democrats and campaigns, including Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign.

However, a state court ethics panel had previously determined that Judge Merchan could continue presiding over the case, stating that a relative’s political activities are not sufficient to question the judge’s impartiality. Judge Merchan has consistently maintained that he can handle the case fairly and without bias.

With Harris now Trump’s Democratic opponent in the current White House election, Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, emphasized in a letter to the judge last month that the defense’s concerns have become more significant. Prosecutors dismissed the claims as a “vexatious and frivolous attempt to relitigate” the issue.