A federal judge in Fort Pierce has refused to recuse herself from the criminal case of a man accused of allegedly trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump, saying the defense’s request lacked sufficient grounds.
Lawyers representing Ryan Wesley Routh had asked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to step down, arguing that her previous handling of Trump’s classified documents case suggested potential bias in favor of the former president, who is also the current Republican nominee. They emphasized her appointment by Trump and her repeated praise for his rulings, particularly her July dismissal of the indictment, which is now being appealed by special counsel Jack Smith.
On the other hand, Cannon denied the request for recusal, stating Tuesday that she has “no control over what private citizens, members of the media or public officials or candidates choose to say about me or my judicial decisions” and expressed no concern about any political implications of her decisions.
“I have never spoken to or met former President Trump except in connection with his required presence at an official judicial proceeding, through counsel. I have no ‘relationship to the alleged victim’ in any reasonable sense of the phrase,” Cannon stated adding that, “I follow my oath to administer justice faithfully and impartially, in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of this country.”
She also disputed the defense’s claim that her recusal dispelled any public perception that the attempted murder case was assigned to her in a non-random manner.
Cannon further clarified, stating, “As with previous cases involving former President Trump, this case was assigned to me at random through the Chancery’s automated case assignment system. Period. I will not be influenced by inaccurate, uninformed, or speculative opinions to the contrary.”
Authorities report that in September Routh observed Trump for over 12 hours at his Florida golf course and documented his intent to kill him. Now he faces charges of attempted murder.
The plot was foiled when a Secret Service agent on Trump’s protective detail noticed a partially concealed man and a gun barrel sticking out of the golf course fence in the vicinity of Trump’s location. The agent fired toward Routh, who fled the scene but was later arrested by law enforcement in a nearby county.
