Former President Donald Trump has filed a late appeal to alter the location of his upcoming trial in Manhattan, as well as lift the gag order that prohibits him from publicly criticizing witnesses and the judge’s family. The trial, set to commence with jury selection next week, centers around allegations that Trump illegally concealed payments made to former porn star Stormy Daniels. Court records reveal that Trump’s legal team has employed an “Article 78 action,” a legal maneuver used to challenge a judge’s order or ruling.
In separate appeals, Trump’s attorneys are seeking to secure a stay on the gag order and, more significantly, relocate the trial away from Manhattan, which would inevitably cause a delay, according to a source familiar with the matter. The New York Appellate Division, First Department, is scheduled to hold a hearing on Monday afternoon. However, the chances of the delay bid being successful are considered slim, the source added. It is worth noting that Trump’s team previously attempted a similar last-minute delay tactic in a civil fraud trial, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Although they initially managed to overturn the gag order in that case, it was eventually reinstated.
Meanwhile, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, responsible for prosecuting the “hush money” case, has accused Trump of attempting to further delay the trial by making another request for Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan to recuse himself. Prosecutors argue that Trump’s motion, which has already been rejected, is an “end-run” around the gag order, as he continues to claim that Merchan has a conflict of interest due to his daughter’s involvement with a political consulting firm affiliated with Democrats. Prosecutors assert that Trump’s true objective is to indefinitely postpone the proceedings.
