Clients of New York Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, and the progressive consulting firm she manages are benefitting financially from the conviction of former President Donald Trump in a New York City trial her father oversaw. Loren Merchan’s firm, Authentic Campaigns, did not respond to questions about the conflict of interest her position poses.
After a jury, composed of a majority of Biden voters, found Trump guilty of 34 counts of bookkeeping fraud, Democrat California Rep. Adam Schiff, a client of Authentic Campaigns, immediately began fundraising off the verdict.
Schiff, listed as Authentic Campaigns’ highest-paying client, has made 32 payments totaling nearly $5 million to the firm in the 2024 election cycle, according to Open Secrets.
In a campaign fundraising email, Schiff’s campaign urged its supporters to donate: “Rush $10 to my campaign before our May fundraising deadline at midnight tonight to help defeat Trump and defend the rule of law.”
Truth Voices submitted multiple requests for comment to the firm but received no response regarding the conflict of interest created by Judge Merchan’s connection to the firm.
Since last April, Schiff has raised $20 million by leveraging Trump’s indictment, according to the New York Post. In a fundraising email, he stated, “Trump will respond as he always does—playing the victim and blaming others for investigating him.” He added, “Rush $10 to my campaign right now to help us prepare for Trump’s inevitable attacks.”
Another major client of Merchan’s firm, Senate Majority PAC, has also been fundraising off the case. In an email received by Fox News, the PAC stated, “BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury. This is an important moment for our democracy, but our work isn’t over. We must continue protecting our Senate majority from GOP extremists. Please, rush in $10 (becomes $60) to help Defend the Senate.”
According to FCC filings, Judge Merchan contributed to the Biden campaign and two anti-Trump PACs, Stop Republicans and Progressive Turnout Project, the latter of which also raised money off the verdict. These donations violate rule 4.1 of the American Bar Association, which states judges shall not “make a contribution to a political organization or a candidate for public office.”
Judge Merchan’s bias against Trump was evident throughout the trial. At one point, Merchan threatened to jail the former president “if necessary” for violating a gag order designed to prevent Trump from publicly criticizing the proceedings.
The judge also limited testimony from Trump’s expert witnesses, highlighting his partisanship. According to Politico, Merchan outright rejected election law expert Brad Smith from speaking on finance law and restricted the former FEC member to discussing only “general definitions and terms.”
Most egregiously, Judge Merchan instructed jurors prior to their deliberation that they need not reach a unanimous consensus regarding what “other crime” Trump was allegedly covering up with his bookkeeping — the basis on which Bragg brought the felony prosecution.
In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Ohio Republican Rep. JD Vance urged the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Merchan’s partisan behavior and consider “many likely co-conspirators,” referring to Judge Merchan’s daughter, president of Authentic Campaigns.
Vance has given Garland until June 28, 2024, to respond on whether he will open a criminal investigation into the conduct of Judge Merchan and other potential co-conspirators, which include Christopher Conroy, Matthew Colangelo, and Alvin Bragg.
