Just hours after U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) bragged about coaching disgraced attorney Michael Cohen for his testimony in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against former President Donald Trump, an investigative reporter revealed a compromising connection involving Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case.
During an appearance on MSNBC Tuesday, Rep. Goldman explained how he helped prepare Michael Cohen, the prosecution’s “star witness,” for his testimony against former President Trump. “I have deposed Michael Cohen. I have met with him a number of times to prepare him,” the New York Democrat said.
The plot thickened on Tuesday evening when investigative journalist Laura Loomer noted that Goldman is a client of Democrat political consulting company Authentic Campaigns. Loren Merchan — the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan — works for Authentic Campaigns and has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for Democrat candidates off of the Trump prosecutions.
Notable clients for the firm include the Biden-Harris campaign, as well as several prominent Democrat senators, U.S. representatives, governors and state Democratic Parties.
Rep. Goldman is also listed as a client for Authentic. “Nobody is fighting harder to save our democracy and our planet than @DanielSGoldman,” the group wrote in a Twitter post after the 2022 midterm elections. “He’ll be an amazing addition to Congress next year.”
After Loomer’s report, the group set its X page to private.
Judge Juan Merchan has consistently faced accusations of political bias throughout the duration of the Trump case. The judge donated to Joe Biden’s campaign in July 2020. He also made a number of small donations to additional left-wing and Democrat groups in 2020.
Judge Merchan has also slapped Trump with an extensive gag order that prohibits him from discussing key aspects of the case, including the political activities of his daughter, after he drew attention to Loren’s political activities in April.
“So, let me get this straight,” Trump wrote, “the Judge’s daughter is allowed to post pictures of her ‘dream’ of putting me in jail, the Manhattan DA is able to say whatever lies about me he wants, the Judge can violate our Laws and Constitution at every turn, but I am not allowed to talk about the attacks against me, and the Lunatics trying to destroy my life, and prevent me from winning the 2024 Presidential Election, which I am dominating?”
“Maybe,” he suggested, “the Judge is such a hater because his daughter makes money by working to ‘Get Trump,’ and when he rules against me over and over again, he is making her company, and her, richer and richer. How can this be allowed?”
Despite the compromising connections, Judge Merchan has not only refused to recuse himself from the case, but has fined Trump on multiple occasions for discussing the facts.
Merchan is far from the only key figure in the case with extensive connections to Democrats. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg currently employs Matthew Colangelo, a former senior Department of Justice official. Colangelo served as Acting Associate Attorney General before, the third most senior position in the Biden DOJ, before joining Bragg’s office.
He is now working as a lead prosecutor in the “hush money” case.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, who led the questioning of former adult film star Stormy Daniels, also donated to the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020. In addition, the prosecutor donated more than $900 to ActBlue, a fundraising organization that goes towards Democratic candidates and progressive causes, during the 2020 election cycle.
Hoffinger also donated to a number of additional Democrat candidates and causes in 2018 and 2020. She was hired by Bragg after the contributions had been made in 2022.