Judge denies recusal in Trump's criminal case for third time

(The Center Square) – A judge denied for the third time a request from former President Donald Trump's legal team to recuse himself in Trump's criminal case in New York.

Judge Juan Merchan said in his latest order that Trump's arguments for recusal didn't meet legal thresholds.

"Stated plainly, Defendant's arguments are nothing more than a repetition of stale and unsubstantiated claims," Merchan wrote in the order. "This Court now reiterates for the third time, that which should already be clear - innuendo and mischaracterizations do not a conflict create. Recusal is therefore not necessary, much less required."

On May 30, a jury convicted Trump on all counts in his hush-money case, a history-making verdict that could shape the 2024 presidential election. Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records for disguising hush money payments to an adult film actress as legal costs ahead of the 2016 election.

Trump called the suit a political witch hunt devised by the Biden administration to punish political enemies.

Under New York state law, falsifying business records in the first degree is a Class E felony punishable by a maximum of four years in prison.

The case is set for sentencing at 10 a.m. EST on Sept. 18.

"We will proceed on that date and time to the imposition of sentence or other proceedings as appropriate," Merchan wrote in an August letter to prosecutors and defense attorneys.