Amid concerns about his daughter's work for the Democratic Party, Judge Merchan was sued for financial disclosures.
Juan Merchan's daughter leads a company that provides services to notable Democrats, including President Biden and Vice President Harris.
New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan is being sued by America First Legal (AFL) for not providing his financial disclosures, amidst concerns about his daughter's job at a Democratic firm, according to Planet Chronicle Digital.
The Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office investigation led to a six-week trial of former President Donald Trump, presided over by AFL, who also sued the New York State Unified Court System's Ethics Commission.
Trump has appealed the ruling and called on Merchan to overturn the verdict, as he was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
Planet Chronicle Digital first obtained the lawsuit.
The AFL sent a demand letter last week for Merchan's financial disclosures, and now a lawsuit has been filed. The AFL had previously requested those records in June.
In accordance with New York law, judges must submit annual financial disclosures that must be made accessible upon request.
"According to AFL Vice President Dan Epstein, who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital, the law mandates that judicial financial disclosures be made public. The New York court has ruled that these disclosures are crucial for ensuring that parties in court receive a fair trial."
Judge Merchan's financial disclosures need to be made public, as Epstein believes the public has a right to know what is being hidden.
"Epstein emphasized the importance of resolving America First Legal's suit in its favor, given that Merchan may have made unlawful campaign contributions and is facing potential criminal sentencing for the former president of the United States."
The AFL is looking for records related to a conflict of interest allegation involving Merchan's daughter's political work.
Authentic Campaigns, a company that has worked on political campaigns for top Democrat clients such as President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, is led by Loren Merchan as its president.
Justice Merchan's daughter and her clients will benefit financially from suing President Trump through lawfare, according to the AFL's lawsuit.
Judge Merchan has contributed to Democratic initiatives, including supporting Biden's campaign and the "Stop Republicans" organization.
In July 2023, the Commission on Judicial Conduct issued a warning to Merchan for making "political donations to the Biden campaign and 'Stop Republicans,'" according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims that due to the size of the criminal case and Justice Merchan's apparent political bias, partiality, and conflict, public-interest organizations such as AFL are interested in obtaining the requested disclosures and exposing his financial information.
Judge Merchan's political bias over his daughter's work has been accused by Republicans. Despite Trump's legal team requesting a recusal before the trial started, Merchan did not comply.
In a June 2023 decision, the New York state ethics panel upheld Merchan's choice.
The House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to Authentic Campaigns last week after the company declined to provide information and records regarding the investigation of former President Trump in New York v. Trump.
Judge Merchan's "impartiality" has been questioned due to his daughter's work and his failure to recuse himself from the case despite potential conflicts of interest and biases, as stated by Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
Last week, the CEO of Authentic responded to the subpoena, stating that the accusations against the company are "totally unfounded and driven by political motivations."
"CEO Michael Nellis stated that the attempt to intimidate and divert attention from Donald Trump's conviction is a clear attempt to bully us, and we will not allow it. We refuse to be intimidated and will not allow House Republicans or MAGA extremists to spread lies about our work."
Trump has requested a delay in his sentencing, which is set for Sept. 18, until after the November presidential election.
Merchan has yet to make a decision on the matter.
politics
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