The man accused of aiming a rifle at former President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course has filed a motion seeking the recusal of the judge overseeing his case, CNN reports.
Ryan Wesley Routh’s attorneys argue that Judge Aileen Cannon, who previously presided over Trump’s classified documents case, should step down due to potential conflicts of interest and the appearance of bias.
Routh was arrested in September after being spotted with a rifle near the perimeter of Trump’s golf club. He faces five charges, including attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate, and has pleaded not guilty.
Cannon’s involvement in both Trump’s classified documents case and Routh’s case, coupled with Trump’s public praise for her, is at the heart of the defense’s argument for recusal. Routh’s lawyers point out that Trump has repeatedly lauded Cannon by name, particularly after she dismissed the classified documents case. They argue that Trump, as the alleged victim in this case, holds a significant stake in the outcome of the trial.
“Were he to become President in the future, he would have authority to nominate Your Honor to a federal judgeship on a higher court were a vacancy to arise,” the defense saidd in their motion. “Taken together, these unprecedented facts and circumstances might create an appearance of partiality in the mind of the public. Accordingly, the Constitution and the federal recusal statute require Your Honor to recuse herself from this case.”
Earlier this year, Cannon ruled that special counsel Jack Smith was not lawfully appointed to his role overseeing the classified documents case, a decision that is currently being appealed.
The incident involving Routh is the second alleged attempt on Trump’s life in two months. This case will proceed at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, the same location where Trump’s legal team previously argued before Cannon.
