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Trump sues judge in “hush money” trial in effort to delay it and seeks stay of gag order
Former President Donald Trump is again seeking to delay the start of the trial in his New York criminal case, this time by suing the judge just one week before jury selection is scheduled to begin.
In a pair of sealed filings Monday, Trump asked an appellate court for a change of venue in the case and for a stay of a gag order that prevents Trump from commenting publicly on, among others, the judge’s daughter, who works for a Democrat-aligned consulting firm, according to a source familiar with the filings.
The documents are not public, but in an online court database, they appear under the headers “change of venue” and “stay.” Documents for an appeal related to a criminal proceeding are initially sealed while they’re reviewed for sensitive information.
The trial has been delayed at the 11th hour once before, from March 25 to April 15, after Trump’s lawyers complained that evidence related to the case was turned over late after they subpoenaed the federal Department of Justice for documents related to the case. Trump’s lawyers blamed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for the issue, but Judge Juan Merchan concluded Bragg’s office wasn’t at fault.
At a hearing on March 25, he denied Trump’s request to further delay the trial.
Trump’s lawyers have previously argued that he can’t get a fair trial in Manhattan, citing a survey they commissioned of 2,000 New Yorkers, which they said showed Trump’s favorability is far higher among residents outside New York City.
Trump has also raged against the gag order in the case, which stymied a near daily barrage of social media posts claiming Merchan was biased due to his daughter’s work. He’s twice sought Merchan’s recusal from the case, an effort that was first rejected in 2023, when Merchan cited a state ethics panel review that concluded he was not ethically compromised.
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A food company known for popular grocery store condiments has recalled a package of tortilla strips that may be contaminated with wheat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The product is meant to be gluten-free.
Sugar Foods, a manufacturing and distribution corporation focused mainly on various toppings, artificial sweeteners and snacks, issued the recall for the “Santa Fe Style” version of tortilla strips sold by the brand Fresh Gourmet.
“People who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product,” said Sugar Foods in an announcement posted by the FDA.
Packages of these tortilla strips with an expiration date as late as June 20, 2025, could contain undeclared wheat, meaning the allergen is not listed as an ingredient on the label. The Fresh Gourmet product is marketed as gluten-free.
Sugar Foods said a customer informed the company on Nov. 19 that packages of the tortilla strips actually contained crispy onions, another Fresh Gourmet product normally sold in a similar container. The brand’s crispy onion product does contain wheat, and that allergen is noted on the label.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
No illnesses tied to the packaging mistake have been reported, according to the announcement from Sugar Foods. However, the company is still recalling the tortilla strips as a precaution. The contamination issue may have affected products distributed between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Sugar Foods has advised anyone with questions about the recall to contact the company’s consumer care department by email or phone.
CBS News reached out to Sugar Foods for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
This is the latest in a series of food product recalls affected because of contamination issues, although the others involved harmful bacteria. Some recent, high-profile incidents include an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots that killed at least one person in California, and a listeria outbreak that left an infant dead in California and nine people hospitalized across four different states, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The E. coli outbreak is linked to multiple different food brands while the listeria outbreak stemmed from a line of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu-Shang Foods.
