Judge Merchan: A Look at the Judge in Trump’s First Criminal Case

(TotalConservative.com) – Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing Alvin Bragg’s hush money case against former President Donald Trump, has tangled with Trump’s allies before. He was the judge for the 2022 tax-fraud trial that landed Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg in prison. Merchan is also running the fraud case against Steve Bannon, another Trump ally who served as an adviser during his administration.

Merchan has served as a judge for 17 years, with this being his most high-profile case ever. Trump has slammed him on social media and become the subject of gag order after repeatedly accusing Merchan of being biased. Trump highlighted that Merchan’s daughter is a political actor working to advance Democrat candidates. He suggested that Merchan should recuse himself due to an apparent conflict of interest.

Merchan was exposed for making improper donations to Democrats and their campaigns in the 2020 election cycle. He gave $15 to Joe Biden’s campaign efforts and $10 to “Stop Republicans,” according to NBC News. New York state and the American Bar Association have rules against judges making political donations.

The donations were largely considered “trivial,” despite being improper. Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, is the president of Authentic Campaigns. The company does online fundraising and marketing for Democrat candidates. She’s worked for Joe Biden’s campaign as well as Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a prolific Trump antagonist. Trump has suggested that Lauren Merchan, the wife of Judge Juan Merchan, hates him as well. There is little publicly available information about Mrs. Merchan, however.

Trump’s claims and criticism have become the subject of a recently expanded gag order which prohibits Trump from talking about the families of the court officials as well as prohibiting him from saying anything disparaging about the prosecutors, court staff, jurors, or witnesses.

Democrats have suggested that Trump speaking openly about the political behavior of those involved endangers their safety. Trump’s defenders have suggested he has a Constitutional right to speak freely and criticize the proceedings against him under the First Amendment.