Former President Donald Trump has failed in his attempt to have a federal judge removed from his criminal election interference case in Washington, D.C. Judge Tanya Chutkan denied Trump’s request for her recusal, stating that it was “not warranted in this case.” Trump’s lawyers argued that Chutkan had made prejudiced statements about him in separate cases related to the Capitol riot. However, Chutkan rejected this claim, asserting that the court has never taken the position attributed to it by the defense. Trump is facing four criminal cases, including charges of conspiring to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
The judge’s ruling comes after Trump’s lawyers pointed to Chutkan’s comments during sentencing hearings for two individuals involved in the Capitol riot. They argued that these remarks demonstrated Chutkan’s bias against Trump. However, Chutkan argued that the statements were based on facts and arguments presented by the defendants and identified the sources that informed her statements. Trump had previously criticized Chutkan as a “biased, Trump Hating Judge.” Chutkan, appointed to the bench in 2014 under President Barack Obama, has handed down longer sentences than requested by federal prosecutors in multiple cases related to the Capitol riot.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the prosecution in Trump’s case, has requested a partial gag order to limit what Trump can say about witnesses, court officials, and other parties involved. Trump’s lawyers have opposed these restrictions, claiming that they aim to “silence” the former president as he considers running for reelection in 2024.