According to Federal Election Commission records, Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump, appears to be a staunch progressive Democrat.
Since 2020, Merchan has made multiple modest donations through Act Blue, the most prominent fundraising platform for the Democratic Party.
The judge contributed $15 to the “Biden for President” campaign on July 26, 2020, and $10 to the Progressive Turnout Project and Stop Republicans the following day.
The group Stop Republicans describes itself on its website as “an accountability campaign of Progressive Turnout Project … dedicated to resisting the Republican Party and Donald Trump’s radical right-wing legacy.”
Experts don't hold out hope that the presiding judge in Trump's trial will push back against @ManhattanDA's prosecutorial overreach or corruption. Judge Juan Merchan a Columbian immigrant is a lifelong Democrat who has privately and publicly expressed his hatred of Trump. pic.twitter.com/oUMIUQgO0S
— @amuse (@amuse) March 31, 2023
So, Merchan’s donation may not be substantial, but it clearly demonstrates where his loyalties lay, not only as a Democrat but also, presumably, as a staunch Trump opponent.
Clearly, Trump feels this way about his assignment to the case.
The 45th president posted on TruthSocial in March 31, “The Judge ‘assigned’ to my Witch Hunt Case, a ‘Case’ that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME.”
“His name is Juan Manuel Marchan, was hand picked by [Manhattan District Attorney Alvin] Bragg & the Prosecutors, & is the same person who ‘railroaded’ my 75 year old former CFO, Allen Weisselberg, to take a ‘plea’ deal (Plead GUILTY, even if you are not, 90 DAYS, fight us in Court, 10 years (life!) in jail. He strong armed Allen, which a judge is not allowed to do, & treated my companies, which didn’t ‘plead,’ VICIOUSLY. APPEALING!” Trump added.
In August, the Manhattan DA’s office announced that Weisselberg pleaded guilty to “evading payment of taxes due on $1.76 million in unreported income” over a 15-year period.
“Instead of paying his fair share like everyone else, Weisselberg had the Trump Organization provide him with a rent-free apartment, expensive cars, private school tuition for his grandchildren and new furniture – all without paying required taxes,” Bragg said at the time.
“The Court promised Weisselberg a sentence of five months in jail to be served on Rikers Island and five years’ probation, contingent on Weisselberg testifying truthfully in the upcoming criminal trial of the Trump Organization,” the DA’s news release said.
Therefore, it appears to be another “get Trump” effort utilizing tax law. It was a strategy employed in part by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s prosecutors in the Paul Manafort case, although it did not yield the testimony implicating Trump in Russian collusion that they desired.
WABC-TV reports that Merchan, as the presiding judge, was “heavily involved” in the negotiations that led to Weisselberg’s guilty plea.
“Weisselberg testified against the Trump Organization at trial last year — but reportedly did not cooperate with District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s grand jury probe,” the New York Post said.
WABC-TV reported that former Trump strategist Steve Bannon is also scheduled to appear before Merchan. Bannon is accused with fraud for his involvement in a fundraising effort for a southern border wall.
Thus, there are at least three cases involving Trump.
Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, is the president of Authentic Campaigns, whose clients have included anti-Trump zealot Adam Schiff of California, vice president Kamala Harris, the Biden-Harris campaign, and California governor Gavin Newsom.
Trump mentioned this issue in a TruthSocial post earlier this week.
Yes, there are numerous reasons to doubt Merchan’s impartiality as Trump’s trial judge.
He should promptly recuse himself, and the entire case should be dismissed as a partisan witch pursuit.