Judge rejects another Trump effort to delay April 15 trial in DA Bragg case

A New York appeals court judge on Wednesday rejected a third effort by former President Donald Trump to delay an April 15 trial in a case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Trump has asked Judge Juan Merchan to recuse himself for a second time and Trump attorney Emil Bove had argued that the delay was warranted given Merchan had yet to decide on the request, Reuters reported.

The rejection comes one day after Trump lost a bid for delay until after a full panel of appellate judges heard arguments on amending a gag order against him. On Monday, moreover, he lost his bid to delay the trial while he sought a change of venue.

Trump has sought Merchan's recusal in light of his daughter's employment with a left-wing organization, which he has argued presents a conflict of interest. Merchan expanded a gag order against Trump to prevent him from discussing his daughter, as well as any family members of Bragg.

The District Attorney has charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a 2016 payment his then-attorney, Michael Cohen, made to Stormy Daniels. He has pleaded not guilty and contends that the case is part of a broader political witch hunt designed to derail his 2024 bid for the White House.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.