Judge Aileen Cannon stated on Tuesday that her past praise of Trump does not warrant recusal from the case involving would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh.
The Trump-appointed judge said she had never met or spoken to Trump, so she denied Ryan Routh’s motion for recusal.
“I have never spoken to or met former President Trump except in connection with his required presence at an official judicial proceeding, through counsel,” Cannon wrote in a 7-page order. “I have no ‘relationship to the alleged victim’ in any reasonable sense of the phrase.”
“Upon full review of the Motion, and fully advised in the premises, I see no proper basis for recusal,” Cannon wrote.
Lawyers for Ryan Routh asked Judge Cannon to recuse herself because she was appointed by Trump and praised her for her rulings, according to a 10-page motion filed earlier this month.
Federal prosecutors last month charged Ryan Routh with attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate after he pushed the muzzle of his rifle through the fence line at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.
Ryan Routh was previously charged with two federal gun crimes: Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession (max penalty of 15 years in prison and $250,000 fine), and receipt of a firearm with an obliterated serial number (max penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine).
Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, was assigned to oversee the case.
“Although Mr. Trump is the alleged victim here, he previously served as President of the United States. While in office, he nominated Your Honor to her current position as a U.S. District Judge in the Southern District of Florida. Your Honor thus owes her lifetime appointment to the alleged victim in this criminal case,” Routh’s lawyers wrote in the motion.
“After Mr. Trump left office, he was charged in this District with 40 felony counts relating to his retention of classified documents. Your Honor recently presided over that criminal case, and ultimately dismissed the case against Mr. Trump,” the lawyers added.
Routh’s attorneys also argued Cannon should recuse herself because Trump praised her.
“Mr. Trump is the current Republican candidate for President in next month’s election. On the campaign trail, he has repeatedly praised Your Honor for her rulings in his case. As the alleged victim here, he has a significant stake in the outcome of this case too. 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,” Routh’s lawyers wrote.
Ryan Routh traveled near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course and his Mar-a-Lago residence multiple times in the month leading up to his arrest.
He set up a sniper’s nest in the shrubbery outside the perimeter of Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.
In the area of the tree line from which Routh fled, agents found a Go-Pro, two backpacks, a loaded SKS-style, 7.62×39 caliber rifle with a scope, and a black plastic bag containing food.
One of the backpacks contained ceramic tiles police believe could have been used as a shield/body armor.
Ryan Routh pleaded not guilty to federal charges stemming from his attempted assassination against President Trump.
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