Could the Judge Overseeing Trump's Case Face an Ethics Investigation?

PJ Media ^ | 04/08/2023 | Matt Margolis

[SeekAndFind]

On Thursday, left-wing website ProPublica published a hit piece on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas alleging that his repeated vacationing with a personal friend over the years violated judicial ethics and financial disclosure requirements, prompting Democrats to feign outrage and call for his impeachment. The allegations are weak and will, of course, go nowhere.

But it’s curious that this hit piece came out mere days after we learned that Acting New York County Supreme Court Justice Juan Manuel Merchan, who is overseeing President Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York, donated to Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. And not only that, his daughter worked for Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.

According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, Judge Merchan made three donations to ActBlue during the summer of 2020. One of these donations, made on July 26th, was specifically designated for President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. The other two, made the following day, were earmarked for Progressive Turnout Project (PTP), a PAC meant to boost left-wing turnout, and Stop Republicans, a PTP grassroots effort, that — no joke — is “dedicated to resisting the Republican Party and Donald Trump.”

Judge Merchan's daughter, Loren, previously worked for Kamala Harris's 2020 presidential campaign as "Director of Digital Persuasion," according to her deleted LinkedIn page, which listed her pronouns. pic.twitter.com/e113tWPQ3G

— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) April 4, 2023

The donations are small potatoes — they amount to $35 combined — but make no mistake about it, they are nevertheless a blatant violation of judicial ethics.

“Judges are prohibited under ethics rules from donating to political campaigns and organizations,” tweeted Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group.

[SeekAndFind]

“Accordingly, there are legitimate concerns about Judge Merchan’s reported political contributions while a sitting judge to Biden and Democratic causes.”

Stephen Gillers, a professor of legal ethics at New York University, explained that New York, like most jurisdictions in the United States, has adopted language from the American Bar Association Model Code of Judicial Conduct prohibiting judges from soliciting funds for or making contributions to political organizations or candidates.

[Sir Bangaz Cracka]

Wrong party. Corruption by Dims is OK. You must have been thinking of some conservative judge and a Dimocrat politician.

[Steely Tom]

RULE 4: “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.”

[Ann Archy]

"Director of Digital PERSUASION" is what his daughter did for Kamala....WTH is THAT?? Persuading Twitter, Facebook, etc. to SHUT DOWN REPYBLICANS??? Sounds like it!

He MUST RECUSE!

[sauropod]

.

[Flint]

And exactly who is responsible to remove the good judge? I haven’t heard any official any where speak up and say that the matter is under investigation or consideration. Who is supposed to take care of a corrupt judge, another corrupt judge?

[Flint]

All conservatives everywhere should start looking into political contributions made by judges. And start action to remove everyone of them that has violated a town, county, state or Federal rule about making them. If we sit idle and let this go on we get what we condone.

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

From whom? In New York? LOL!!!! Nobody will do a damned thing of consequence to this judge. Sure some spineless republicans will mewl and whine, but in the end, they will take no serious action of consequences.