Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is stepping up her attacks on New York judge Juan Merchan, the jurist overseeing former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan, with a formal ethics complaint alleging a conflict of interest.
Stefanik, a close Trump ally and the chair of the House Republican Conference, has made public calls for Merchan to recuse himself from the case, in which Trump stands accused of falsifying business records to conceal hush payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
In a statement to Axios, Stefanik said that "Acting Judge [Juan] Merchan is in clear violation of section 100.3(E)(1)(d)(iii) of the Rules of Judicial Conduct for the New York State Unified Court System as his family has enriched itself through anti-Trump fundraising mentioning this case directly," and that a Trump acquittal would be "detrimental to Democrats, including clients of Judge Merchan's daughter."
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Trump himself has repeatedly attacked Merchan's daughter Loren, who has done work for a Democratic consulting firm — to the point that Merchan had to issue a gag order prohibiting him from talking about it while the trial proceeds.
"Stefanik ... has filed five formal complaints against judges and prosecutors involved in cases against Trump," noted the Axios report.
"Those include complaints to the New York Commission on Judicial Conduct, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the New York Bar Association and DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility. In November of last year, Stefanik previously filed an ethics complaint against Judge Arthur Engoron, the judge presiding over Trump's civil fraud trial, accusing Engoron of 'weaponized lawfare' against Trump" — which was ultimately dismissed.
The news was met with scorn on social media from readers who argued Stefanik's complaint amounted to a campaign stunt.
"Veepstakes in embarrassingly high & pathetic gear," said X user Mme.Olenksa.
Added Andy Sappington, "Trumpers have no shame."
X user Allan Schlosser added, "The woman has given new meaning to obsequious toadyism."
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