The sentencing in the Manhattan criminal case against former President Donald Trump is currently set for September 18, but that hasn't stopped Trump's legal team from moving (several times) to have Judge Juan Merchan recuse himself from the case. One of the key reasons for this is that Merchan's daughter, Loren, has done consulting work for prominent Democrats — including Vice President Kamala Harris — thus presenting a conflict of interest. The judge disagrees and has declined to recuse.
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In the meantime, the House Judiciary Committee has been conducting an investigation into the seemingly political prosecution of the former president. And now, in conjunction with that, Committee Chair Jim Jordan has issued a subpoena to the judge's daughter.
Jordan sent a letter to Michael Nellis, the founder and CEO of Authentic Campaigns – a company that's done political work for top Democratic clients like President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris – accusing him of failing to comply with House investigators' demands for any and all documents related to the prosecution of former President Trump.
The committee wrote to Loren Merchan earlier this month requesting documents in its probe into Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against Trump.
Jordan pointed out in his Wednesday letter that Nellis himself rejected that request as well as a subsequent one later in the month.
"As such, the Committee is left with no choice but to resort to compulsory process," Jordan wrote. "Popularly elected prosecutors, such as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, have engaged in an unprecedented abuse of authority by prosecuting a former President of the United States and current nominee for that office. Of relevance to the Committee’s oversight is the impartiality of Judge Juan Merchan, the presiding trial judge, due to his refusal to recuse himself from the case in light of his apparent conflicts of interest and biases."
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"During Ms. Merchan’s employment with the Harris campaign, Authentic Campaigns received over $7 million in compensation for its services. You also worked for then-presidential candidate Harris and it appears you continue to do so. Authentic Campaigns conducted work for the 2020 Biden-Harris campaign and, according to public records, was paid just over $2 million in a one-month period for its work," he wrote.
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The House Judiciary GOP shared a copy of the front page of the letter to its account on X.
The subpoena gives Nellis until September 13 to comply with the request. Will more information be forthcoming? We'll soon see.