Judge Overseeing Trump’s Case in Manhattan Could Face Ethics Complaint
Photo of Jon Dougherty Jon DoughertyApril 7, 2023
Creative Commons
The New York judge overseeing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against former President Donald Trump could himself face an ethics complaint and investigation for his own past actions.
Several legal experts and former prosecutors believe that Judge Juan Merchan may have violated New York’s Code of Judicial Conduct by making three donations to Democrats in 2020, adding that could be grounds for an ethics investigation, according to Breitbart News.
Per Section 100.5 of the New York Code of Judicial Conduct, sitting judges cannot “directly or indirectly engage in any political activity.” Among the prohibited political activity: “(h) soliciting funds for, paying an assessment to, or making a contribution to a political organization or candidate.”
The New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics’s yearly-updated handbook points this out clearly: “A sitting judge may not make political contributions at any time, even to a U.S. presidential candidate or to a federal congressional candidate outside of New York State (Opinion 11-146; 22 NYCRR 100.5[A][1][h]).”
And, according to the American Bar Association’s Model Code of Judicial Conduct, a judge shall not, unless permitted by law, “solicit funds for, pay an assessment to, or make a contribution to a political organization or a candidate for public office.”
“However, Merchan — a New York state judge — made three political donations in 2020, according to public Federal Election Commission records,” Breitbart pointed out.
FEC records reveal that Merchan contributed $15.00 to Biden for President, Trump’s opponent, on July 26, 2020, through ActBlue. On the following day, July 27, 2020, he made a $10.00 donation to the Progressive Turnout Project, an organization focused on encouraging Democrat voters to turn out. Additionally, he donated $10.00 to Stop Republicans, which is part of the Progressive Turnout Project that aims to resist the Republican Party and Donald Trump’s “radical right-wing legacy,” also through ActBlue, Breitbart News reported.
https://conservativebrief.com/merchan-2020-72318/
Photo of Jon Dougherty Jon DoughertyApril 7, 2023
Creative Commons
The New York judge overseeing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against former President Donald Trump could himself face an ethics complaint and investigation for his own past actions.
Several legal experts and former prosecutors believe that Judge Juan Merchan may have violated New York’s Code of Judicial Conduct by making three donations to Democrats in 2020, adding that could be grounds for an ethics investigation, according to Breitbart News.
Per Section 100.5 of the New York Code of Judicial Conduct, sitting judges cannot “directly or indirectly engage in any political activity.” Among the prohibited political activity: “(h) soliciting funds for, paying an assessment to, or making a contribution to a political organization or candidate.”
The New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics’s yearly-updated handbook points this out clearly: “A sitting judge may not make political contributions at any time, even to a U.S. presidential candidate or to a federal congressional candidate outside of New York State (Opinion 11-146; 22 NYCRR 100.5[A][1][h]).”
And, according to the American Bar Association’s Model Code of Judicial Conduct, a judge shall not, unless permitted by law, “solicit funds for, pay an assessment to, or make a contribution to a political organization or a candidate for public office.”
“However, Merchan — a New York state judge — made three political donations in 2020, according to public Federal Election Commission records,” Breitbart pointed out.
FEC records reveal that Merchan contributed $15.00 to Biden for President, Trump’s opponent, on July 26, 2020, through ActBlue. On the following day, July 27, 2020, he made a $10.00 donation to the Progressive Turnout Project, an organization focused on encouraging Democrat voters to turn out. Additionally, he donated $10.00 to Stop Republicans, which is part of the Progressive Turnout Project that aims to resist the Republican Party and Donald Trump’s “radical right-wing legacy,” also through ActBlue, Breitbart News reported.
https://conservativebrief.com/merchan-2020-72318/