XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.society.liberalism, alt.politics.trump   
   XPost: alt.politics.democrats, talk.politics.guns   
   From: blue.judge@nytimes.com   
      
   Carol Kinsey Goman  wrote in   
   news:xmxlJ.45065$3q9.15101@fx47.iad:   
      
   > Obama, Hillary Clinton and Biden should be hauled to the washington   
   > monument and executed for treason.   
      
   June 2 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump is seeking to disqualify   
   the New York state judge overseeing the criminal case against him stemming   
   from a hush money payment to a porn star.   
      
   In a motion made public on Friday, Trump's lawyers argued that New York   
   state Justice Juan Merchan in Manhattan has a conflict due to his   
   daughter's work at a consulting firm that does work for Democrats. The   
   motion also noted that the judge encouraged a former Trump Organization   
   executive to cooperate during a prior case, calling that a preconceived   
   bias against Trump.   
      
   Trump's lawyers also asked the judge to explain $35 in political   
   contributions in 2020. Federal records show Merchan donated $35 to the   
   Democratic group ActBlue, with the money earmarked for the Biden campaign   
   and two progressive groups.   
      
   "Your Honor cannot preside over this case," Trump's lawyers wrote in the   
   filing, given the questions about his impartiality.   
      
   The motion is Trump's latest legal maneuver to keep Merchan from   
   overseeing the case. Last month, Trump asked for the case to be moved to   
   federal court. It is proceeding in state court ahead of a decision.   
      
   Trump may face an uphill climb in getting Merchan disqualified, as the   
   judge himself gets to make the decision. The Trump Organization was not   
   successful in getting him to step aside in the tax-fraud case.   
      
   But New York's rules of judicial conduct bar political contributions.   
   Robert Tembeckjian, administrator of the state Commission on Judicial   
   Conduct, declined to comment on whether , the judge's apparent $35 in   
   donations could be subject to an inquiry.   
      
   Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to   
   cover up a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before   
   the 2016 presidential election. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie   
   Clifford, says she had a sexual encounter with Trump, which he denies. He   
   has pleaded not guilty. A trial is scheduled to begin in March.   
      
   A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney said the office would   
   respond in court papers.   
      
   Lucian Chalfen, a New York court spokesman, declined to comment on behalf   
   of Merchan.   
      
   Merchan's daughter, Loren, is a partner and president of Authentic   
   Campaigns, whose clients include progressive causes and Democratic   
   officials and stands to benefit from decisions in the case, the filing   
   said. The company did not respond to a request for comment.   
      
   Trump's lawyers say the judge pushed former Trump Organization CFO Allen   
   Weisselberg to cooperate during plea negotiations in last year's tax fraud   
   case against him and the company. In the filing, they say the judge told   
   Weisselberg he would be sentenced to at least one to three years in prison   
   even if he pleaded guilty, unless he cooperated against Trump and his   
   interests.   
      
   Weisselberg pleaded guilty in the tax fraud case last year and testified   
   for the prosecution but did not cooperate against Trump himself, who was   
   not charged in that case. He was sentenced to five months in jail.   
      
   The Trump Organization was found guilty of tax fraud and fined $1.6   
   million.   
      
   https://www.reuters.com/legal/trump-moves-disqualify-judge-porn-star-hush-   
   money-case-2023-06-02/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)