America First Legal (AFL) is suing New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan for not providing his financial disclosures amid scrutiny over his daughter’s employment at a Democratic firm, according to Fox News Digital. The lawsuit targets Merchan, who oversaw former President Donald Trump’s six-week trial in New York v. Trump, a case resulting from a yearslong investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office. AFL has also filed a lawsuit against the New York State Unified Court System’s Ethics Commission.
Trump was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. He has appealed the verdict and called for Merchan to overturn the ruling. Fox News first obtained a copy of the lawsuit, the outlet reported on Thursday. The lawsuit follows a demand letter sent by the AFL last week, which requested Merchan’s financial disclosures and threatened legal action if they were not provided. The AFL had previously requested these records in June. New York law mandates that judges file annual financial disclosures, which must be made available upon request.
“The law is clear that judicial financial disclosures must be released to the public,” AFL Vice President Dan Epstein told Fox News. “New York’s highest court has stated that such disclosures are necessary for parties before the courts to get a fair shake.” Epstein went on to tell the outlet that the public “needs to know what Judge Merchan is hiding or even if he failed to file financial disclosures at all. This is especially important given the fact that Merchan appears to have engaged in unlawful campaign contributions and is on the precipice of criminally sentencing the former president of the United States. Fundamental fairness dictates a resolution of America First Legal’s suit in its favor.”
The AFL is seeking the records due to ongoing concerns about a potential conflict of interest involving Merchan’s role in the trial, given his daughter’s political work. Loren Merchan serves as the president of Authentic Campaigns, a firm that has worked with prominent Democratic clients such as President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Fox noted. “Clearly, Justice Merchan’s daughter and her clients stand to profit handsomely from lawfare against President Trump,” the AFL noted in its suit. The legal filing also noted that Judge Merchan has donated to Democratic causes, including Biden’s campaign and a group called “Stop Republicans.”
In July 2023, the Commission on Judicial Conduct warned Merchan for his “improper political donations to the Biden campaign and ‘Stop Republicans,’” according to the lawsuit. It added: “Given the magnitude of the Criminal Matter and Justice Merchan’s readily apparent political bias, conflict, and partiality, public-interest organizations such as AFL have a keen interest in obtaining the Requested Disclosures and shining light on his finances.”
Last month, the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to Loren Merchan amid allegations that her work with former President Donald Trump’s political opponents might have influenced her father’s rulings. The new development comes as tensions escalate over Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s prosecution of Trump, a case that many argue is politically motivated. In a letter, the Committee expressed its concerns that Loren Merchan and Authentic Campaigns might have financially benefited from Trump’s prosecution and conviction.
The letter, addressed to CEO Michael Nellis, stated, “The Committee is continuing to conduct oversight of politically motivated prosecutions by state and local officials. Popularly elected prosecutors, such as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, have engaged in an unprecedented abuse of authority by prosecuting a former President of the United States and current nominee for that office.”
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