Jim Jordan Subpoenas Political Consulting Company of NY Trump Judge’s Daughter

The House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), is intensifying its investigation into potential conflicts of interest surrounding the New York prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

The focus is on Judge Juan Merchan, who’s presiding over Trump’s case, and the political work conducted by his daughter, Loren Merchan.

Jordan has issued a subpoena to Michael Nellis, the founder and CEO of Authentic Campaigns, a company that has worked for prominent Democrats including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. This action comes after what Jordan describes as a lack of compliance with previous requests for information.

In his letter to Nellis, Jordan stated, “As such, the Committee is left with no choice but to resort to compulsory process. 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. Of relevance to the Committee’s oversight is the impartiality of Judge Juan Merchan, the presiding trial judge, due to his refusal to recuse himself from the case in light of his apparent conflicts of interest and biases.”

The specific conflict of interest centers on Loren Merchan’s role as president of Authentic Campaigns. Jordan’s letter outlines the financial aspects of this potential conflict: “During Ms. Merchan’s employment with the Harris campaign, Authentic Campaigns received over $7 million in compensation for its services. You also worked for then-presidential candidate Harris and it appears you continue to do so. Authentic Campaigns conducted work for the 2020 Biden-Harris campaign and, according to public records, was paid just over $2 million in a one-month period for its work.”

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Jordan argues that this connection raises questions about Judge Merchan’s impartiality. He wrote, “One such conflict is Ms. Merchan’s—daughter of Judge Merchan and President of Authentic Campaigns—work on behalf of President Trump’s political adversaries and the possible financial benefit that Ms. Merchan and Authentic Campaigns received from the prosecution and conviction of President Trump.”

The committee’s investigation has broader implications, according to Jordan: “Congress has a specific and manifestly important interest in preventing politically motivated prosecutions of current and former presidents, especially in venues in which real or perceived biases exist. Among other things, if state or local prosecutors are able to engage in politically motivated prosecutions of Presidents of the United States (current or former) for personal acts, this could have a profound effect on how presidents choose to exercise their powers while in office.”

Trump’s legal team previously requested Judge Merchan to recuse himself, a request he denied. A New York state ethics panel supported the judge’s decision in June 2023.

The case against Trump involves 34 counts of falsifying business records, related to alleged hush money payments to an adult film actress. Trump has denied these allegations, and his lawyers are appealing the ruling.

Jordan’s subpoena demands that Nellis provide the requested information by September 13.

This development adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing legal challenges faced by the former president, with his sentencing hearing currently scheduled for September 18.

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Jordan’s investigation could have far-reaching implications for how similar situations are handled in the future.