Accused would-be Trump assassin Ryan Wesley Routh is insisting that the judge on his case should recuse herself because she was appointed by the former president and recently dismissed the documents case against him.
Routh — who allegedly tried to kill Donald Trump while he was golfing in Florida on Sept. 15 — says federal Judge Aileen Cannon should step aside from Routh’s case because of “unprecedented” facts that could pose a potential conflict of interest.
“A former President, Mr. Trump, is the alleged victim in this criminal case; Mr. Trump appointed Your Honor to the federal bench,” Routh’s lawyers wrote in court papers Wednesday.
The Republican presidential nominee has “repeatedly and publicly praised” Cannon over her bombshell ruling from earlier this year tossing out the entire criminal case against Trump for allegedly stashing troves of confidential documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate after he left office, Routh’s lawyers said.
And the fact that Trump, if elected again on Nov. 5, would have the power to appoint Cannon to a higher position in a federal appellate court or another high-ranking job also could present the appearance of a conflict of interest to the public, the court documents say.
Routh’s defense team first raised the issue of disqualification last Thursday. Prosecutors asked Cannon to reject the recusal request on the basis that Routh’s filing “does not present a sufficient legal or factual basis” for it.
But Routh’s lawyers fired back Wednesday, saying the two-page response from prosecutors “does not meaningly respond” to their motion and is “misleading.”
Routh’s trial was initially set for Nov. 18, just two weeks after the presidential election, but prosecutors asked for an indefinite pause for the unusually quick trial, claiming they were still investigating and combing through mountains of evidence.
The trial has since been rescheduled for Feb. 10.
Prosecutors claim Routh stalked Trump while carrying an AR-15-style rifle as the real estate tycoon was golfing at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
Routh allegedly camped out for nearly 12 hours outside the chain-link fence surrounding the club in a makeshift sniper’s nest before a Secret Service agent scouting the grounds ahead of Trump spotted the rifle’s muzzle and opened fire in Routh’s direction.
Routh fled but was arrested the same day along a Florida highway.
Routh faces charges of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
He’s pleaded not guilty and faces up to life in prison if convicted on the top count. He’s due back in court on Dec. 11.
Routh’s assassination attempt came after Thomas Matthew Crooks grazed Trump’s ear at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13. Crooks was fatally shot by a Secret Service sniper.