Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has raised concerns about the judicial assignment process in former President Donald Trump’s recent criminal trial in New York, suggesting potential misconduct in how Acting Justice Juan Merchan, a Democrat donor, was selected for Trump-related cases.
In a detailed letter, Stefanik highlighted that despite the availability of roughly three dozen judges, Judge Merchan was assigned to oversee not only the Trump Organization’s trial but also the upcoming trials of Steve Bannon and Trump himself. This pattern, she argues, defies the statistical likelihood of random case assignments, suggesting an intentional selection process.
🚨🚨🚨 I just filed an official misconduct complaint with the New York State Unified Court System related to the “random” assignment of Acting Manhattan Justice Juan Merchan, a Biden donor whose daughter is fundraising millions off his unprecedented work, to criminal cases… pic.twitter.com/OsBjFc3qeI
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 28, 2024
Stefanik’s accusations extend beyond case assignments.
She pointed out Judge Merchan’s political donations to the Democratic Party and connections through his daughter, who runs a consultancy for Democratic officials, as potential conflicts of interest.
The New York State Office of Court Administration maintains that the assignment followed standard procedures, noting Merchan’s prior role with the related grand juries makes him well-suited for managing these complex cases due to his existing case familiarity.
Meanwhile, Judge Merchan has refused to recuse himself despite the conflict of interest allegations, stressing his commitment to legal impartiality and dismissing claims of bias as baseless. The situation unfolds as Trump, facing multiple charges and under a gag order from Merchan, gears up for his 2024 presidential campaign, with Stefanik potentially in consideration for a vice-presidential nomination.
What a banana republic the US has become!! Any monkey can see that appointing a political opponent to run this court case smacks of corruption! America is nothing more than zimbabwe in a suit. Fake democracy, fake legal system, hell even their sports are fake
Yeah, Americans aren’t very happy with the government right now. Actually it’s been brewing for many years.
It’s bigger than Trump, getting close to a revolution.