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Jamaica-American judge denies Trump’s request to recuse herself in federal election case

Published:Wednesday | September 27, 2023 | 8:31 PM
This undated photo provided by the Administrative Office of the US Courts shows US District Judge Tanya Chutkan. The Justice Department is challenging efforts by ex-President Donald Trump to disqualify the Washington judge presiding over the case charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 election. (Administrative Office of the US Courts via AP, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jamaican-American judge Tanya Chutkan said Wednesday she won't recuse herself from Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case in Washington, rejecting the former president's claims that her past comments raise doubts about whether she can be fair.

Chutkan, who was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama and was randomly assigned to Trump's case, said in her written decision that she sees no reason to step aside.

The case, scheduled for trial in March, accuses the Republican of illegally scheming to overturn his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

There's a high bar for recusal, and legal experts had widely considered Trump's request to be a long shot aimed at undermining the legitimacy of the case publicly that could only sour the relationship between the judge and the defence in court.

Lawyers for Trump did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

In seeking Chutkan's recusal, defence lawyers cited statements she had made in two sentencing hearings of participants in the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol in which they said she had appeared to suggest that Trump deserved to be prosecuted and held accountable.

They said the comments suggested a bias against him that could taint the proceedings.

But, Chutkan vigorously objected to those characterisations of her comments.

“It bears noting that the court has never taken the position the defence ascribes to it: that former 'President Trump should be prosecuted and imprisoned,'” Chutkan wrote.

“And the defence does not cite any instance of the court ever uttering those words or anything similar.”

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