Trump again urges recusal for judge in hush money case, this time over daughter's ties to Harris

Former President Donald Trump's legal team this week again urged New York Acting Justice Juan Merchan to recuse himself from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's hush money case.

At issue is the judge's daughter, Loren Merchan, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump and who works for Authentic Campaigns, a firm that does business with many of Trump's political opponents, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

"Your Honor’s daughter has a long-standing relationship with Harris, including work for political campaigns. She has obtained—and stands to obtain in the future—extensive financial, professional, and personal benefits from her relationship with Harris," wrote Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Emily Bove in a Wednesday letter to Merchan that The Hill obtained.

"In light of the long-standing and extremely beneficial working relationship between Your Honor’s daughter and Vice President Kamala Harris, who recently became the presumptive Presidential nominee of the Democrat Party, we respectfully submit this pre-motion letter to renew our request that the Court recuse itself," wrote Trump attorney Todd Blanche in a Wednesday letter to Merchan.

Trump has twice asked Merchan to recuse himself on the basis of his daughter's employment, though Merchan has twice declined to do so. The former president has publicly criticized Merchan as being biased against him, stating in a Truth Social post in May that his is "totally compromised, conflicted, and corrupt, making big money off of this scam and its outcome."

Merchan previously imposed a gag order on Trump preventing him from discussing his daughter, as well as relevant parties in the case. After the guilty verdict, however, he partially lifted it to permit Trump to discuss witnesses.

Trump on Thursday lost an appeal seeking to lift the remaining parts of the gag order, with a five-judge panel backing Merchan.