On Thursday, August 15, 2024, Newsweek reported that the daughter of the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal hush money case received death threats following criticism from the former president on his social media platform.
According to the article, Loren Merchan, daughter of New York Judge Juan Merchan, was advised to leave her family home by law enforcement due to safety concerns over death threats she received. This came after Donald Trump attacked the judge on his Truth Social website earlier in the year.
In a letter shared publicly, Mike Nellis – founder of the political consulting firm Authentic Campaigns Inc. where Loren Merchan works – said the judge’s daughter received death threats since the beginning of the trial. Nellis stated that on multiple occasions, Loren and her family were told to stay away from their home for their protection.
The criminal hush money case stems from prosecutors claiming that in 2016, Trump paid porn actress Stormy Daniels hush money using falsified business records to cover up the payment ahead of the presidential election. In May 2024, Trump became the first former U.S. president to receive a felony conviction on 34 counts related to the falsified records.
During the trial presided over by Judge Merchan, Trump criticized the judge’s impartiality, calling the trial “rigged” and the judge “conflicted and corrupt”. He is expected to appeal the conviction if sentencing moves forward in September.
In his letter addressed to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Nellis emphasized that Loren Merchan only had “minimal input” with any political clients during the 2024 election cycle. He also stated that neither his firm nor Loren financially benefit from any rulings in Trump’s criminal and civil cases.
On Wednesday, Judge Merchan rejected another attempt by Trump’s legal team to remove him from the case, calling their claims “rife with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated.” Trump’s lawyers have repeatedly tried to get Merchan recused, citing Loren’s past political work, including some efforts supporting Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign.
However, a state ethics committee previously ruled in 2023 that Merchan could remain impartial despite his daughter’s work, noting a judge’s family members’ political activities alone do not reasonably question impartiality.
Attempts by Newsweek to get comments from Trump’s lawyer and campaign as well as Authentic Campaigns on the threats against Loren Merchan were unsuccessful as they were contacted outside regular office hours.
Trump’s legal team has also asked Judge Merchan to overturn the felony conviction by citing the Supreme Court’s rule of presidential immunity for “official acts”. A ruling on this claim is expected in September, along with potential sentencing if the conviction stands.
Source: Newsweek
