Former President Donald Trump is moving to sue Judge Juan Merchan, the New York judge presiding over his hush money trial, the New York Times reported, in his latest effort to delay his first-ever criminal trial—set to begin in just one week.
The suit will challenge the gag order he was placed under, according to a report.
Trump’s lawsuit was not immediately released, but court records indicate he plans to file an appeal against Merchan on Monday.
His lawyers plan to file a suit to the New York Court of Appeals asking for a delay and challenging the gag order Merchan placed him under after repeated attacks on the judge and his daughter, two sources told the Times.
Trump previously called for Merchan to recuse himself on Friday, arguing that his daughter Loren Merchan job at Authentic Campaigns, Inc., a company that runs ads for Democratic Party candidates, creates a conflict of interest.
Trump goes to trial for 34 counts of falsifying business records next Monday, in a high-profile case related to reimbursements for the alleged hush money he paid adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 through his then-attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen. Trump was placed under a gag order in March after his attacks against Merchan and his daughter, but the former president has remained defiant, claiming it would be “my great honor” if he was sent to jail for violating the restrictions and comparing himself to South African leader Nelson Mandela. The actions against Merchan are likely a last-minute attempt to delay the trial. The former president has tried repeatedly to push the trial date back further, but Merchan has so far rejected these efforts, including his claim of “presidential immunity.”