Trump calls for disbarment of Judge Juan Merchan

President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday requested the disbarment of the New York judge overseeing his business case.

Mr. Trump’s anger was directed at New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who ruled Friday that he would uphold the president-elect’s criminal conviction but would not impose prison time.

In May, Mr. Trump was convicted by a jury of 34 counts of falsifying business records relating to the concealment of payments made by his lawyer, Michael Cohen, on his behalf to cover up an alleged affair with the star. Stormy Daniels porn.

“I wasn’t hiding anything, it was all in plain sight,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social. “All the reputable jurists have said there is NO CASE AGAINST ME. The judge should be disbarred! This is why people and businesses are FLEERING from New York – a corrupt justice system.

Mr. Trump argued that he never falsified business records and that the conviction came from “a false accusation made up by a corrupt judge who is just doing the work of the Biden/Harris Injustice Department.” .

He added: “He may be the most divisive judge in the history of New York State. The accountant testified, with full corroboration, that the records were perfect and completely beyond reproach. Legal fees were called, in the books, legal fees. There was nothing else that could have called him.

Mr Trump’s sentencing, which has been repeatedly delayed since his conviction last year, is set for January 10.

He was ordered to appear in person or virtually, but his legal team vowed to fight the order, putting the timing of his sentencing on hold.

“President Trump must be allowed to continue the presidential transition process and carry out the vital functions of the presidency, unencumbered by the remnants of this witch hunt or any other vestiges of the witch hunt,” he said. said Trump communications director Steven Cheung. “There should be no convictions, and President Trump will continue to fight these hoaxes until they are all dead.” »

Mr. Trump’s critics hoped the conviction, along with his other legal troubles, would derail his bid for a second term. Ultimately, he seemed to thrive in the face of adversity and won the election against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Special counsel Jack Smith has moved to dismiss federal charges against him, and a racketeering case in Georgia against Mr. Trump is in limbo because of a conflict of interest involving Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Judge Merchan refused to overturn the president-elect’s conviction, saying the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity invalidated the case. The judge wrote that rejecting the conviction and the jury’s decision “would not address the concerns expressed by the Supreme Court” and would instead undermine the law.

In his decision to move forward with sentencing, Judge Merchan said the best way to resolve the case was an absolute release, which is a more lenient alternative to probation or prison.

“It seems appropriate at this stage to make known the court’s desire to impose no prison sentence, a sentence authorized by the conviction but which people admit they no longer consider to be a feasible recommendation,” Justice Merchan wrote.

Mr. Trump was ordered to appear in person or virtually, but his legal team vowed to fight the order, putting the timing of his sentencing on hold.