Donald Trump’s legal woes have come at the hands of some corrupt judges. But now one of them may be facing punishment themselves.
As this Leftist Trump-trial judge has been smacked with the worst news imaginable.
America First Legal (AFL) has filed a lawsuit against New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan for his refusal to release his financial disclosures, raising concerns over potential conflicts of interest due to his daughter’s work with a prominent Democratic firm, according to Fox News Digital.
Judge Merchan recently presided over the high-profile New York v. Trump case, which resulted in former President Donald Trump being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump, who has appealed the ruling, has called on Merchan to overturn the verdict. The investigation stemmed from efforts by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.
The AFL’s lawsuit, also targeting the New York State Unified Court System’s Ethics Commission, follows a demand letter sent last week for Judge Merchan’s financial records.
This request, according to AFL, was made in June but went unanswered. New York law mandates that judges file annual financial disclosures, which should be made available to the public upon request.
Dan Epstein, Vice President of AFL, emphasized the importance of transparency. “The law is clear that judicial financial disclosures must be released to the public,” Epstein told Fox News Digital. “New York’s highest court has stated that such disclosures are necessary for parties before the courts to get a fair shake.”
He added that the public “needs to know what Judge Merchan is hiding or even if he failed to file financial disclosures at all.” Epstein pointed to the upcoming sentencing of Trump as a key reason why this transparency is crucial. “Fundamental fairness dictates a resolution of America First Legal’s suit in its favor,” he stated.
AFL’s lawsuit also raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest related to Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, who is the president of Authentic Campaigns, a company that has worked with high-profile Democratic clients, including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
AFL’s filing argues that “Justice Merchan’s daughter and her clients stand to profit handsomely from lawfare against President Trump.”
Judge Merchan has also faced scrutiny for political donations to Democratic causes, including Biden’s campaign and a group called “Stop Republicans.”
In July 2023, the Commission on Judicial Conduct issued a caution to Merchan for these donations, citing “improper political donations to the Biden campaign and ‘Stop Republicans.’”
With Judge Merchan’s impartiality now under scrutiny, AFL is pushing for a deeper investigation into his finances. The lawsuit states that “public-interest organizations such as AFL have a keen interest in obtaining the Requested Disclosures and shining light on his finances.”
Trump’s legal team had previously asked Merchan to recuse himself from the case, but the judge declined. A New York state ethics panel backed Merchan’s decision in June 2023.
This controversy extends beyond the courtroom. Last week, the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Authentic Campaigns after the firm refused to provide records related to the prosecution of Trump. Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) raised concerns over Judge Merchan’s impartiality, noting his “refusal to recuse himself from the case in light of his apparent conflicts of interest and biases.”
However, Authentic Campaigns’ CEO, Michael Nellis, pushed back against these allegations.
In response to the subpoena, Nellis said, “This is a blatant attempt to intimidate us and divert attention from Donald Trump’s conviction. We refuse to be bullied, and we will not allow House Republicans or MAGA extremists to spread lies about our work.”
As Trump’s sentencing approaches on September 18, the former president has requested a delay until after the November presidential election. Judge Merchan has yet to make a decision on that issue.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
