{"id":2249778,"date":"2024-05-21T18:20:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-21T22:20:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stefanik-demands-trump-hush-money-trial-judge-recuse-over-conflict-of-interest\/"},"modified":"2024-05-21T18:20:29","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T22:20:29","slug":"stefanik-demands-trump-hush-money-trial-judge-recuse-over-conflict-of-interest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stefanik-demands-trump-hush-money-trial-judge-recuse-over-conflict-of-interest\/","title":{"rendered":"Stefanik requests recusal of Trump hush money trial judge citing conflict"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstefanik-demands-trump-hush-money-trial-judge-recuse-over-conflict-of-interest%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2249778&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>House Republican Conference Chairwoman\u200d Elise Stefanik is calling for the recusal\u200c of the\u2063 judge\u200d overseeing ex-President Trump&#8217;s criminal trial in New York due to allegations that the judge&#8217;s daughter is using the case \u2063for financial gain. Stefanik filed an ethics complaint with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, highlighting concerns of a conflict of interest. \u200cThe \u2062complaint underscores the complexity and scrutiny surrounding the \u200dtrial proceedings.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>House Republican Conference Chairwoman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/elise-stefanik\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Elise Stefanik\">Elise Stefanik<\/a> (R-NY) is demanding the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3006584\/bob-good-alongside-challenger-mcguire-trump-trial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>criminal trial in New York<\/a> to recuse himself from the case over allegations his daughter is using the indictment for financial gain. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/734814661\/Stefanik-Ethics-Complaint\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>In an ethics complaint<\/a> submitted to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct on Tuesday, Stefanik is urging Judge Juan Merchan to step down <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3007722\/trump-trial-verdict-now-law-later\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>from the case<\/a> over allegations his daughter is leveraging the trial to make money through her fundraising agency. The complaint comes as other House Republicans have also targeted Merchan over his daughter\u2019s politics, deeming it a conflict of interest. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudge Merchan currently presides over the criminal case against President Donald J. Trump brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg,\u201d Stefanik wrote in the complaint. \u201cIf convicted, President Trump faces a maximum of 136 years\u2019 imprisonment. Moreover, he is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for this November\u2019s presidential election. As such, not only are President Trump\u2019s interests at stake, the interests of all Americans are at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stefanik, a fierce Trump supporter who is vying for a chance to be his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fla-gov-ron-desantis-becoming-major-voice-for-gop\/\" title=\"Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis becoming major voice for GOP\">vice presidential pick<\/a>, filed the complaint as the case was about to close and when little could be done regarding recusal.<\/p>\n<p>Merchan\u2019s daughter, Loren Merchan, is the president of Authentic Campaigns, a digital marketing and fundraising agency aligned with several Democratic lawmakers and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amid-threats-of-corporate-donation-withdrawals-gop-senate-fund-hauls-in-8-3-million\/\" title=\"Amid Threats Of Corporate Donation Withdrawals, GOP Senate Fund Hauls In .3 Million\">political action committees<\/a>. Shortly after Trump\u2019s initial indictment in April 2023 in the hush money trial, several Democrats were quick to use the charges in fundraising material, including clients whom Loren Merchan represented. <\/p>\n<p>Stefanik cited a fundraising email sent by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) for his Senate bid, in which the California Democrat used Trump\u2019s indictment to request donations. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is a somber moment, and unprecedented for a former president to be indicted, but his alleged offenses are unprecedented,\u201d the email stated. \u201cTrump will respond as he always does\u2014 playing the victim and blaming others for having the temerity to investigate him in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stefanik also pointed to fundraising emails by the Senate Majority PAC, also represented by Authentic Campaigns, that made a similar fundraising plea. <\/p>\n<p>Since then, both Schiff and the committee have raised approximately $20 million and $73.6 million, respectively, according to the complaint. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn other words, the clients of Judge Merchan\u2019s daughter have raked in nearly $100 million and have used President Trump\u2019s indictment \u2014 a case over which her father presides \u2014 as fundraising fodder,\u201d Stefanik wrote. \u201cIt is common sense that, if these groups make no money, they cannot afford to pay for services provided by individuals such as Ms. Merchan. The more money raised, the more it can be spent on services.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stefanik argued Juan Merchan is required to recuse himself from the case under the Rules of Judicial Conduct for the New York State Unified Court System, which states that a judge is disqualified from a case if he or she, or a person that is closely connected to them, \u201chas an interest that could be substantially affected by the proceeding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stefanik argued that because a conviction of Trump would likely lead to a \u201cfundraising windfall\u201d for Democrats, including Juan Merchan\u2019s daughter, he must remove himself from the case to avoid a conflict of interest. If he does not, she argued, any decision in the case could call into question the \u201ccourt\u2019s appearance of impartiality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is imperative that New Yorkers and all Americans have confidence that justice is being dispensed fairly in New York,\u201d the complaint states. \u201cThis is especially true in politically sensitive cases where bias is most likely to rear its ugly head. Here, we are in the middle of a presidential election campaign. The circumstances are unprecedented: President Trump, a former president and the likely nominee of a major party for the presidency, is on trial.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The complaint comes as Trump enters the sixth week of his hush money trial, the first criminal indictment of a former president in U.S. history.<\/p>\n<p>The New York case focuses on 34 counts of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/are-the-charges-brought-against-the-trump-organizations-cfo-part-of-a-witch-hunt-experts-weigh-in\/\" title=\"Are The Charges Brought Against The Trump Organization\u2019s CFO Part Of A Witch Hunt? Experts Weigh In\">falsifying business records<\/a>, which came shortly after Michael Cohen testified before a grand jury last year detailing his 2018 conviction when he pleaded guilty to paying two women who accused Trump of sexual affairs to be silent, including porn star Stormy Daniels.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As part of the scheme, Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 and was later reimbursed by the Trump Organization. Manhattan prosecutors later opened an investigation into whether Trump falsified business records to list the reimbursement as a legal expense.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>contacted a spokesperson for both the\u00a0New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct and Juan Merchan for comment. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Elise Stefanik (R-NY), House Republican Conference Chairwoman, seeks recusal of the judge in ex-President Trump&#8217;s trial, alleging the judge&#8217;s daughter benefits financially from the case. Stefanik filed an ethics complaint with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, citing the conflict<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2640,"featured_media":2249779,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24139548922379-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2249778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24139548922379-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2249778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2249778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2249778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2249779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2249778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2249778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2249778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}