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.
“Specifically, Mr. Specter stated that he has personally represented both the Honorable Michael M. Baylson and his wife,” the motion states. “Mr. Specter also stated that he has known and enjoyed a friendship with Judge Baylson since he was a child, and that both the Judge and his wife have been guests in Mr. Specter’s home on various occasions.”…