MAGA Republican Elise Stefanik has filed an ethics complaint against the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s hush money trial, accusing him of a conflict of interest. The New York representative claims that Justice Juan Merchan’s family has enriched itself through anti-Trump fundraising, which she believes directly affects the case. Merchan is presiding over Trump’s trial, where the former president faces 34 felony counts of falsifying documents related to payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump denies the allegations and Stefanik believes that Merchan’s involvement in the case is a threat to democracy.
Stefanik’s complaint against Judge Merchan is based on violations of the Rules of Judicial Conduct for the New York State Unified Court System. She accuses Merchan of bias due to his family’s wealth being tied to attacking President Trump. Despite calls for Merchan to recuse himself from the case, he has refused to do so. Stefanik believes that the corruption displayed in Merchan’s courtroom is election interference for financial gain and is a threat to the justice system. As a loyal ally of Trump and a member of the House Republican Conference, Stefanik is determined to hold Merchan accountable for what she sees as judicial misconduct.
Stefanik’s complaints against Merchan are in line with Trump’s calls for the judge to recuse himself due to his daughter’s employment at a Democratic consulting firm. Despite guidance from the New York court system’s Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics, Merchan has decided to remain on the case. Stefanik argues that any verdict against Trump would politically benefit Democrats, including Merchan’s daughter’s clients. She believes that a potential conviction would lead to a fundraising windfall for Democrat clients of Merchan’s daughter. This is the second ethics complaint that Stefanik has filed against Merchan, as she accuses him of using “weaponized lawfare” against the former president.
Trump was placed under a gag order in March, preventing him from making public comments about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, and jurors in his hush money trial. The trial is expected to end within a week, with Trump denying all allegations against him. Stefanik has been a vocal supporter of Trump and the MAGA movement, aligning herself with his efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election. She believes that Merchan’s involvement in the case poses a threat to democracy and the justice system, and is determined to hold him accountable for what she perceives as judicial misconduct. Newsweek has reached out to the New York State Unified Court System for comment on Stefanik’s ethics complaint.
