The Hunt family asked for Judge Sanders’ removal.

Companies owned by the billionaire brothers asked a federal appeals court to remove U.S. District Judge Barefoot Sanders of Dallas from all proceedings involved with their bankruptcy case. The firms contended, before the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, that Sanders had possible business ties to banks involved in the case. The Hunts wanted Sanders to step down on the grounds that the judge sits on an investment company board with lawyers for a firm representing one of the 23 banks that want to foreclose on $1.5 billion in past due loans to the Hunts.