Trump Swipes at Federal Judge Assigned to Jan. 6 Case, Alleges Hunter Biden Link

Former President Donald Trump ramped up his attacks on Tuesday on the federal judge assigned to his election-interference case, accusing her of a "classic conflict of interest" on his website Truth Social. 

In the post, Trump alleged that U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan was somehow linked to Hunter Biden's business activities in Ukraine, through unspecified "professional ties" at a law firm. His latest rhetorical swipe at Chutkan falls amid reports of security tightening around the judge.

“The Obama appointed Judge in the FREE SPEECH Indictment of me by my political opponent, Crooked Joe Biden’s Department of InJustice, shared professional ties at the law firm that worked for Energy Company Burisma, based in Ukraine, of which Hunter Biden and his associate were 'proud' MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, and were paid Millions of Dollars, even though Hunter knew almost NOTHING about Energy.” 

Trump then questioned how much the law firm was paid, calling it “so horrible,” following up the post with the words "GATEWAY PUNDIT," a blog known for spreading conspiracy theories favorable to the former president. 

Chutkan, a 9-year veteran of the federal judiciary recently known for her tough sentences of Jan. 6 rioters, was randomly assigned to the case last week after Trump was indicted on four counts from Special Counsel Jack Smith's probe: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and violations of a Reconstruction-era law designed to deter the Ku Klux Klan from interfering with the civil rights of freedmen and women. 

Trump’s comments Tuesday are the latest in an installment of attacks against the judge, who famously told him in late 2021: "Presidents are not Kings, and Plaintiff is not President." Trump previously said he will be asking her to recuse herself from the case, writing, “There is no way I can get a fair trial with the judge ‘assigned’ to the ridiculous freedom of speech/fair elections case.”

The comments also come as security around her has increased. CNN was the first to report the changes in security, noting that deputy U.S. Marshals discussed security plans for her Monday. 

Federal prosecutors have asked for a protective order restricting what Trump and his lawyers can do with evidence shared with them through discovery before trial, pointing to statements they say could have a “harmful chilling effect on witnesses or adversely affect the fair administration of justice in this case.”