Trump makes new push for hush money judge recusal, citing Harris
Lawyers for former President Trump have again asked the New York judge who oversaw Trump’s recent criminal trial to recuse himself over his daughter’s job consulting for prominent Democrats – this time, citing her work for Vice President Harris, his likely opponent in November.
Judge Juan Merchan previously has rejected Trump’s recusal demands, but Trump is re-upping his request with Harris now becoming the likely Democratic nominee after President Biden dropped out of the race.
“Your Honor’s daughter has a long-standing relationship with Harris, including work for political campaigns,” Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote in a pre-motion letter seeking the judge’s recusal. “She has obtained — and stands to obtain in the future — extensive financial, professional, and personal benefits from her relationship with Harris.”
Merchan’s daughter, Loren, works as an executive at the progressive digital agency Authentic. The judge’s daughter points to her work for Harris’s Senate campaign in her company bio.
Trump’s attorneys have previously claimed her work made the judge biased against the former president. They had pointed to the agency’s work for Trump’s then-“chief political rival”: Biden.
Merchan rejected previous demands to recuse, asserting he had received guidance from a state ethics advisory committee and didn’t need to step aside.
In late May, a New York jury convicted Trump on all 34 counts of falsifying business records with an intent to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election in connection with a hush money deal with a porn actor.
Trump’s sentencing is set for Sept. 18, but Merchan is first expected to rule on Trump’s efforts to wipe out the verdict in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision carving out criminal immunity for former presidents.
“Regardless of intent, decisions by Your Honor on the pending Presidential immunity motion and at any sentencing would benefit not only Harris but also the professional aspirations and financial status of Your Honor’s daughter and Authentic—all in a manner consistent with the prohibited political contributions by Your Honor that led to a caution from the Commission on Judicial Conduct,” Trump’s attorneys wrote.
The caution references how Merchan made $35 in donations to the Biden campaign and two liberal-leaning groups before taking on Trump’s criminal case. Ethics rules prevent New York judges from making political contributions, and a complaint against Merchan was dismissed with a warning.
In a statement, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung called Merchan “a highly conflicted judge who should be immediately recused.”
The Hill has reached out to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s (D) office for comment.
Earlier this year, Trump took pointed aim at Loren Merchan on Truth Social. The former president is now barred from making public comments about family members of the judge or prosecutors, though Merchan and Bragg remain fair game. Trump’s new letter again raises issue with the speech restrictions.
Trump has previously taken aim at the family members of judges overseeing his legal matters. In his New York civil fraud case, the judge’s wife and son became the object of the former president’s rage.
Updated at 3:27 p.m. EDT