Judge Presiding Over Trump Case Hit with Lawsuit Over Alleged Democratic Links
On Wednesday, America First Legal filed a lawsuit against New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, accusing him of failing to release financial disclosures requested in June.
Judge Merchan previously presided over the criminal case against former President Donald Trump, in which Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels by Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, before the 2016 election. The sentencing for this case is scheduled for September 18.
America First Legal had filed a request with the Ethics Commission for the New York State Court System in June, seeking Merchan’s financial records for 2018 to 2024. In the lawsuit against Merchan and the Ethics Commission, the conservative law firm argued, “This is not a close case, nor a complicated one—the Commission is legally required to produce the Requested Disclosures for inspection—full stop.”
The lawsuit also highlighted a July 2023 caution by the Commission on Judicial Conduct, which reprimanded Justice Merchan for making improper political donations to President Biden’s campaign and “Stop Republicans.” The court filing further noted that Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, leads Authentic Campaigns, a progressive consulting firm that supports Democratic candidates, including President Biden and Vice President Harris. The firm’s major clients, including Representative Adam Schiff and the Senate Majority PAC, reportedly raised $93 million using Trump’s New York indictments in fundraising emails.
AFL also pointed to various rulings Merchan made during Trump’s trial that they claimed indicated bias, including his refusal to recuse himself, the issuance of a “gag order” against Trump, and his decision to admit what AFL described as “irrelevant” and “prejudicial” testimony. Additionally, they criticized his rejection of testimony from former Federal Elections Commission Chairman Bradley Smith on campaign finance law.
Legal experts, including Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz and former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy, have predicted that Merchan may sentence Trump to prison but will likely suspend the sentence or allow Trump to post bail while appealing the conviction.
America First Legal emphasized its interest in revealing Judge Merchan’s financial details, citing concerns over his apparent political bias. Dan Epstein, the AFL’s vice president, stated, “The law is clear that judicial financial disclosures must be released to the public,” adding that fairness demands a resolution in AFL’s favor.
Epstein concluded, “The public needs to know what Judge Merchan is hiding or even if he failed to file financial disclosures at all.” He further argued that given Merchan’s alleged political donations and his role in sentencing Trump, AFL’s legal pursuit is crucial to ensure transparency and fairness.