Former President Donald Trump moved to sue the New York judge overseeing his hush money case Monday in a last-minute appeal relating to his gag order, according to multiple reports.
The docket shows Trump took action against Judge Juan Merchan, though documents relating to the move were filed under seal. Trump is seeking to lift a gag order issued by Merchan, as well as change the venue of his case, according to multiple reports.
The trial is currently set to start April 15. (RELATED: Judge In Trump Hush Money Case Crossed Line By Expanding Gag Order, Legal Experts Say)
Now: Trump seeks to lift his gag order and to move his trial out of Manhattan, his attys tell @Law360, seeking emergency relief from an appellate judge this morning.
A docket shows Justice Merchan has been sued by Trump, under seal, likely tied to gag appeal.
— Frank G. Runyeon (@frankrunyeon) April 8, 2024
Merchan issued a gag order against Trump in March, which he expanded last week after Trump criticized his daughter on social media. The order bars Trump from making statements about witnesses, prosecutors other than the district attorney, court staff, jurors and family members of the staff, district attorney or judge.
Last week, Trump also reiterated his request for Merchan to recuse himself from the case, pointing to his daughter’s “direct financial interest in these proceedings by virtue of her ownership stake and leadership role at Authentic Campaigns, Inc.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alan Bragg responded to Trump’s motion Monday, writing that it is “nothing more than his latest effort to delay the forthcoming trial.”
“All that defendant has shown is that the Court’s family member has a leadership role at a private company; some of the company’s business involves contracting with political candidates; and some of those candidates criticize defendant some of the time, including by mentioning this trial,” Bragg wrote. “The Court, of course, is not directly involved with either Authentic or its clients; and neither Authentic, the Court’s family member, nor their clients are parties or witnesses to this case.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.