OPINION | This article contains the author's opinion.
An investigative journalist with conservative views alleges that he has discovered a connection between the judge presiding over Donald Trump’s trial in New York and the state’s Attorney General, Letitia James.
Laura Loomer, who shared her discoveries on X platform, suggests that this revelation raises doubts about Judge Juan Merchan’s impartiality in overseeing the trial.
The judge’s daughter, who is a Democratic activist, has faced criticism for her anti-Trump social media posts and for allegedly benefiting from her father’s involvement in the case.
Employment records
Loomer has revealed that she obtained employment records of Judge Merchan’s wife, Lara Merchan, indicating that she worked at the Attorney General’s Office from 2009 to 2022.
This period placed her directly under the authority of Attorney General James starting from 2019.
Attorney General James initiated her investigation into the Trump real estate business in 2019, with legal action becoming public in August 2020 to back her subpoenas.
Lara Merchan’s role as a special assistant during this period likely involved handling crucial information relevant to the case.
Loomer’s examination
Loomer’s examination of Lara Merchan’s career and income suggests she earned around $150,000 while serving as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General.
Loomer also presented a mortgage document indicating that Judge Merchan and Lara Merchan were or are married, with their primary residence in an undisclosed county in New York.
Additionally, President Trump implied that Judge Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, may have influenced the case by lobbying for Democratic figures like Adam Schiff, who received significant donations related to Trump’s legal matters.
“So, let me get this straight,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Judge’s daughter is allowed to post pictures of her ‘dream’ of putting me in jail … but I am not allowed to talk about the attacks against me, and the Lunatics trying to destroy my life and prevent me from winning the 2024 Presidential Election, which I am dominating?”
Merchan rejected
Judge Merchan rejected Trump’s request to delay his hush money trial while he seeks a ruling on presidential immunity from the U.S. Supreme Court.