Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan repeatedly refused requests on Thursday from Steve Bannon’s lawyers that they be relieved as counsel—despite assertions of a communication breakdown and irreconcilable differences that have left the lawyers speaking to their client only through a third party.

“There has been a direct breakdown in communications,” David Schoen said, adding that Bannon has only been speaking to himself and co-counsel John Mitchell through Adam Katz of Goldberg Segalla since September.