Trump Legal Team Seeks Judge’s Recusal in ‘Central Park Five’ Defamation Case

The defamation lawsuit stems from comments Trump made during his presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Korey Wise (C) speaks on stage as Kevin Richardson (L), New York City council member Dr. Yusef Salaam (2nd L), Rev. Al Sharpton (2nd-R), and Raymond Santana (R) look on during the last day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 22, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

President-elect Donald Trump’s attorneys in a Nov. 14 filing asked a federal judge to recuse himself from an ongoing defamation case brought by the now-exonerated “Central Park Five,” citing the judge’s “significant personal connection” with the men’s lead attorney.

In the filing, Trump’s legal team sought the “immediate recusal” of Senior Judge Michael Baylson of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The motion highlighted a disclosure made on Nov. 13 by Shanin Specter, the lead attorney representing the men, revealing his longstanding relationship with Baylson.