New York hush money
Appeals court judge rejects Trump bid to delay trial over gag order challenge
Key players: New York Associate Justice Cynthia Kern, Judge Juan Merchan, Merchan’s daughter Loren Merchan, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, adult film star Stormy Daniels
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Only minutes after hearing arguments from Trump’s lawyers on a motion to delay the start of the trial until after they could appeal Merchan’s expanded gag order, Kern denied the motion, CNN reported.
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Although Trump is appealing Kern’s decision with the full appeals court, that will not delay the Monday start of the hush money trial, meaning that Trump will still be bound by Merchan’s gag order until at least April 29, when the appeals court has requested written arguments on the matter.
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Merchan expanded his original gag order on Trump after the former president repeatedly attacked his daughter, who served as president for Authentic Campaigns, a group that fundraises for Democratic political candidates.
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An appeals court has already ruled that Merchan can remain on the case, saying his daughter’s work does not represent a conflict of interest.
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Bragg has charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records stemming from his 2016 payment of $130,000 to Daniels to cover up an alleged extramarital affair.
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On Monday, a second appeals court judge rejected Trump’s motion to delay the hush money trial while he seeks to have the venue changed to a courtroom outside of Manhattan.
Why it matters:If the case begins on April 15, Trump will become the first former president in U.S. history to be tried on criminal charges in a courtroom.
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Monday, April 8
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A New York appeals court judge rejects former President Donald Trump’s emergency request to delay the April 15 start of his hush money trial while he seeks to have it moved to a different state and have a new judge appointed. Trump also announces that he is suing Judge Juan Merchan as he attempts to have the gag order placed on him removed. Here are the latest legal developments involving the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for 2024.
New York hush money
Key players: New York Appeals Court Judge Justice Lizbeth González, Judge Juan Merchan, adult film star Stormy Daniels, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg
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González rejected Trump’s emergency request to delay the start of his hush money trial, the Associated Press reported.
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With just one week to go until the April 15 start date of the Manhattan trial on charges that Trump broke campaign finance and tax laws when he paid Daniels $130,000 in order to hide an extramarital affair from voters in the 2016 presidential election, Trump is also pursuing a number of new filings to keep the trial from going forward, CNN reported.
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Trump is seeking to move the trial brought by Bragg from the Democratic stronghold of Manhattan to Staten Island, has filed a lawsuit against Merchan and is appealing the gag order he issued to keep him from commenting on witnesses, court staff and their families.
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Daniels is expected to testify in the case about the sexual encounter she had with Trump, as is McDougal.
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The hush money case is set to be the first criminal trial Trump will face before the 2024 presidential election.
Why it matters: Trump is running out of time and options to delay the start of his hush money trial.
