NY Judge Rejects Trump's Request for Recusal in Hush Money Case

A New York state judge, Juan Merchan, has denied former President Donald Trump's request to recuse himself from the criminal case related to hush money payments. Trump had sought recusal due to the judge's daughter's work for Democratic organizations, the judge's oversight of the indictment and plea deal with Allen Weisselberg, and the judge's small donor donations to Democrats. Judge Merchan stated that recusal would not be in the public interest and that he is confident in his ability to be fair and impartial. Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records and is set to go to trial in March 2024.