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A New York judge on Wednesday denied former President Donald Trump's third attempt to have him removed from the case involving Trump's conviction for falsifying business records. The judge, Justice Juan M. Merchan, dismissed the motion as "nothing more than an attempt to air grievances," solidifying his role in the high-profile case ahead of Trump’s sentencing.

Motion Dismissed as Repetitive and Unsubstantiated

Justice Merchan ruled that Trump had missed the deadline for post-trial motions and merely reiterated previous arguments that had already been rejected. Trump claimed that a gag order preventing him from publicly criticizing court officials and the district attorney’s staff was "unjust and unconstitutional," despite this order being upheld by appellate courts.

"Stated plainly, defendant's arguments are nothing more than a repetition of stale and unsubstantiated claims," Justice Merchan stated in his order, which was dated Tuesday.

Trump's Recusal Bid Rejection : Background on the Case and Sentencing

Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments. Throughout the trial, Trump maintained his innocence, calling the proceedings biased and vowing to appeal. He has also filed a motion to overturn the conviction on the grounds of presidential immunity, a decision on which is expected just days before his sentencing on September 18.

In his latest bid for recusal, Trump argued that Vice President Kamala Harris's status as the presumptive Democratic nominee exacerbated the alleged conflict of interest due to the judge's daughter being a Democratic strategist. However, Justice Merchan dismissed these concerns, stating that the "alleged" ties did not impact the legal analysis.

Court’s Firm Stance Against Recusal

Justice Merchan emphasized that Trump's attorneys had failed to provide any new or substantiated evidence to warrant recusal, reiterating his previous warnings about the ethical responsibilities of Trump's legal team.

"This court now reiterates for the third time, that which should already be clear — innuendo and mischaracterizations do not a conflict create," Justice Merchan ruled, firmly concluding that recusal was "not necessary, much less required."

Trump's Recusal Bid Rejection : Next Steps in the Legal Battle

The decision on Trump's motion to dismiss the case based on presidential immunity, which could have significant implications given the evidence related to Trump’s time in the White House, is still pending. Justice Merchan is expected to rule on this issue two days before the sentencing.

Legal Representation

The New York County District Attorney's Office is represented by Joshua Steinglass, Christopher Conroy, Susan D. Hoffinger, Matthew Colangelo, and Rebecca Mangold. Trump's defense team includes Todd Blanche, Emil Bove, and Stephen Weiss of Blanche Law, Susan R. Necheles and Gedalia M. Stern of NechelesLaw LLP, and Steven Yurowitz of Yurowitz Law PLLC.