NEW YORK — A New York judge began former President Donald Trump’s trial Monday by rejecting attempts to oust him from the case, saying claims he is too biased to preside over the case are “attenuated” and unfounded.
Judge Juan Merchan said the court needed to deal with “loose ends” before selecting jurors for the high-profile case that alleges Mr. Trump criminally concealed hush money payments during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Mr. Trump said past comments by Judge Merchan and the judge’s daughter suggested bias. For instance, the daughter once criticized politicians who use Twitter.
“To say that these claims are attenuated is an understatement,” Judge Merchan said, though he added the appeals court will review the decision.
Mr. Trump appeared to shake his head while the judge spoke.
Mr. Merchan affirmed the trial will not occur on April 29 and will not be conducted on Wednesdays.
Some accommodations will be made for the Passover holiday that begins later this month. The judge postponed his decision on whether to adjourn early so Mr. Trump could attend his son’s high school graduation on May 17.
“It really depends on if we are on time and where we are in the trial,” Judge Merchan said.
Mr. Trump listened intently and conferred with lawyers during the rulings, which cleared the way for jury selection in one of the highest-profile trials in history.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. Trump paid $130,000 in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged sexual encounter from nearly two decades ago, along with payments to a second woman who alleged an affair and a doorman who pushed an unproven story that Mr. Trump had a child out of wedlock.
They say Mr. Trump concealed the payments through reimbursements to his attorney-turned-accuser, Michael D. Cohen, recorded in official business ledgers on multiple dates in 2017.
Mr. Trump denies the claim of an affair with Ms. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and says the charges are part of a broad Democratic plot to thwart his presidential bid.
Also Monday, prosecutors sought to submit evidence from a Trump Tower meeting in which Mr. Trump and executives from the National Enquirer allegedly conspired to publish flattering stories about the Trump team and unflattering ones about his rivals, including Republican senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.
“This evidence would do nothing but confuse the jury about the actual crime charged for several reasons,” Trump attorney Todd Blanche said, describing it as a “sideshow. “
The judge said he would allow prosecutors to enter the evidence, adding he was happy the defense did not find the material “illegal or improper.”
Judge Merchan barred prosecutors, at this time, from entering evidence that Mr. Trump’s wife, Melania, was pregnant at the time of an alleged affair with former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
“At this moment, I don’t believe that that’s necessary,” the judge said.
Prosecutors also wanted to submit evidence related to “damage control” around the famous Access Hollywood tape in which Mr. Trump claimed he was so famous that he could do what he wanted around women.
Defense attorney Joshua Steinglass quoted from the tape, including the phrase “grab em by the p—-y,” in open court.
Judge Merchan said he would allow an email chain about the Trump campaign’s response to the tape to be submitted, but the tape itself would be “so prejudicial.”
“The tape itself should not come in,” Judge Merchan said, adding footage from a deposition in a civil lawsuit against Mr. Trump by E. Jean Carroll should not be admitted, either.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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