Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has filed a complaint against the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York, alleging that his selection was not random. Judge Merchan is also presiding over the criminal trials of Trump Organization and Steve Bannon, who was a senior adviser to the former president during his time in the White House.
Stefanik noted in her letter that there are about three dozen judges eligible to oversee the Trump-related cases; however, Judge Merchan, an acting justice, has been assigned to three of the cases related to the former president and presumptive Republican nominee for the White House in 2024.
Her letter references Judge Merchan’s donations to the Democratic Party and President Joe Biden while adding that his daughter is in charge of a consulting company that works with Democratic officials. The lawmaker suspects that the random selection process might not be entirely random, as Judge Merchan, a Democrat Party donor, has been assigned to cases involving prominent Republicans.
The New York State Office of Court Administration stated that the judge’s assignment followed standard protocol and was common practice in handling complex cases with familiarity. Judge Merchan declined to recuse himself from Trump’s case, arguing that the claims were based on a series of inferences and innuendos, and there is no agenda.
Last year, President Trump was indicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in relation to repayments to former associate Michael Cohen. Prosecutors allege it was an attempt to interfere with the 2016 election. The former president has pleaded not guilty and claims that the trial is designed to harm his reelection chances for the 2024 presidential election.
On Wednesday, the jury will start their deliberations after both prosecutors and the defense make their closing arguments in the case. Meanwhile, President Trump has not publicly signaled who he might select as his 2024 running mate; however, there has been media speculation that a particular individual may be vying for the spot.