On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, Fox News reported that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan issued a subpoena for information from Authentic Campaigns, a political consulting firm led by Loren Merchan.
Authentic Campaigns is a political work organization that has represented top Democratic clients such as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Loren Merchan is the president of Authentic Campaigns and the daughter of New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump.
The subpoena is part of the House Judiciary Committee’s investigation into the prosecution of Trump by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Earlier this month, the committee had sent a letter to Loren Merchan requesting documents related to her work for Biden and Harris. According to Jordan, both Merchan and Authentic Campaigns founder and CEO Michael Nellis had rejected this request, as well as a subsequent follow-up request.
As a result, Jordan said the committee was left with “no choice but to resort to compulsory process” by issuing a subpoena to obtain the requested information. In his letter to Nellis accompanying the subpoena, Jordan argued that popularly elected prosecutors like Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg have “engaged in an unprecedented abuse of authority” by prosecuting a former president.
Jordan stated this raises questions about the impartiality of Judge Merchan, given his refusal to recuse himself from the Trump case despite potential conflicts of interest stemming from his daughter’s work. These alleged conflicts include the “possible financial benefit that Ms. Merchan and Authentic Campaigns received from the prosecution and conviction of President Trump.”
Public reports indicate Loren Merchan and Nellis were both closely involved in the 2020 presidential campaigns of Biden and Harris. Jordan’s letter noted Authentic Campaigns received over $7 million for its services while Merchan worked for the Harris campaign. It was also paid just over $2 million during a one-month period for work on the Biden-Harris campaign.
While the subpoena seeks similar information to Jordan’s initial request, it is narrower in scope by not demanding documents related to any mentions of Trump’s prosecution or indictment. Nellis has until September 13 to comply with the subpoena. In a social media post, Nellis said Authentic Campaigns is reviewing the subpoena with its legal team and will provide updates, calling the allegations against the company “completely false and purely politically motivated.”
Republicans have long criticized Judge Merchan for not recusing himself, citing his daughter’s political work as a conflict of interest. Trump’s lawyers unsuccessfully sought Merchan’s recusal prior to the start of the trial. A state ethics panel also recently backed Merchan’s decision not to recuse.
However, Jordan reiterated in his letter that Judge Merchan’s alleged conflicts surrounding his daughter’s work implicate serious federal interests in preventing politically motivated prosecutions, especially those that could influence how presidents wield executive powers. He noted the committee has a responsibility to scrutinize such prosecutions of current or former presidents.
Trump was convicted on felony charges related to business records from payments made to cover up an alleged affair. His lawyers have appealed the conviction in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. His sentencing remains scheduled for September 18.
Source: Fox News
