Former President Donald Trump may have struck legal gold once again, raising questions about whether advocacy on behalf of Democrats by the daughter of the judge in his Manhattan case creates an insurmountable conflict of interest.
The New York Post reports two major Democratic clients of Loren Merchan, daughter of Manhattan District Judge Juan Merchan, have collected a combined $93 million from Trump’s business documents case. One of them, Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Adam Schiff (D-CA), has for years pummeled his followers with direct mail and online solicitations hinting that President Trump’s days as a free man are numbered, content that was likely generated at the direction of Loren Merchan.
Now, the Trump team is alleging the father-daughter connection is a barrier too high for Judge Merchan to continue overseeing the case.
“Authentic Campaigns, and thus the judge’s daughter, is actively making money from this sham attack against President Trump, rendering Judge Merchan conflicted out,” Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement to the Post, citing the judge’s initial rejection of Trump’s motion to have Merchan recuse himself.
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“The judge should do the right thing and immediately recuse himself in order to show the American people that the Democrats have not destroyed our justice system completely … him continuing to be involved in this Crooked Joe Biden-directed Witch Hunt is a complete violation of applicable rules, regulations and ethics.”
Loren Merchan’s firm, Authentic Campaigns, handles political strategy for Democrats like Schiff who has raised more than $20 million for his federal campaign accounts since Trump was indicted last April, according to the Post’s review of campaign finance data.
Schiff’s emails often contain boilerplate language about Trump’s looming imprisonment and lack of remorse.
“It is a somber moment, and unprecedented for a former president to be indicted, but his alleged offenses are also unprecedented,” one Schiff fundraising letter reads. “Trump will respond as he always does — playing the victim and blaming others for having the temerity to investigate him in the first place.” The message ends with a request for donations of $10 and up.
The Senate Majority PAC, which paid Authentic Campaigns at least $19 million since 2019, circulates similarly incendiary missives against President Trump.
“BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury … This is an important moment for our democracy, but our work isn’t over,” the group said in an email, Fox News reported. “We must continue protecting our Senate majority from GOP extremists. Please, rush in $10 (becomes $60) to help Defend the Senate.”
Conservative Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz agrees that there is substance to President Trump’s claim that Judge Merchan is deeply conflicted in his case.
“[T]here seems to be a basis for recusal of the father. Under the law, close relationships can sometimes constitute a basis for recusal,” he told The Post.
Loren Merchan, who worked as a digital director for Vice President Kamala Harris in 2020, has spoken publicly about her father’s distaste for politicians who used Twitter at the time — something many believe to be a veiled reference to Trump.
“I’ve actually had a couple conversations with my dad recently where he’s kind of like ‘I hate that politicians use Twitter,’ and like ‘It’s so unprofessional’ and you know, ‘That’s not how a politician should behave themselves,’ and I explain that like yeah, I think there are a lot of instances where it is not used in, like when our President [Trump] tweets anything that he thinks, and like that’s not what he should be using it for,” the 34-year-old Merchan offered during a podcast appearance in June 2019.
On Thursday Justice Merchan issued a gag order against Trump, prohibiting him from targeting court officials, witnesses, or prosecutors in his public statements. The case is slated to start later this month and is the only criminal matter against the Republican frontrunner that may be resolved before Election Day.
MSNBC anchors had a predictable meltdown over the news that President Trump is singling out Judge Merchan’s daughter.
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