House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik filed an ethics complaint against Judge Juan Marchan for an alleged conflict of interest related to the judge’s daughter’s role at a firm known for representing Democratic politicians.
Marchand, an acting New York State Supreme Court judge, is presiding over the unprecedented criminal trial against former President Trump based on a complaint filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Stefanik, R.N., filed the complaint with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, warning that Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts of falsifying business records, could face “up to 136 years in prison” if convicted, and said not only are his “interests at risk,” but “the interests of all Americans are at risk.”
She pointed to Mr. Marchand’s daughter, who is the president of Authentic Campaigns, a group representing Democratic politicians and political action committees.
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Former President Donald Trump attends the first day of his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 15. Judge Juan Machan poses for a photo in a New York courtroom on March 14. (Angela Weiss/AFP, AP, via POOL/AP)
Stefanik noted that her clients, such as Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), have used Trump’s indictment and criminal trial to raise funds. Trump himself has asked Marchan to recuse himself from the case because of his daughter’s job. Marchan said he sees no reason to do so.
Stefanik added that he learned that the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct “informally warned him in July regarding illegal political contributions to Mr. Biden and the Democratic Party in 2020.”
“As this indictment proves, this personal admonition does not deter Judge Marchand from judicial misconduct,” she wrote. “Judge Marchand appears to be motivated by Democratic Party partisanship and financial benefit to his daughter.”
“It is imperative that New Yorkers and all Americans have confidence that justice is being fairly served in New York,” Stefanik said.
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“This is especially true in politically sensitive cases where bigotry is most likely to rear its ugly head. Here we are in the midst of a presidential election campaign. The situation is unprecedented: President Trump A former president and likely candidate for the next president’s major party is on trial,” Stefanik wrote. “These procedures are done under a microscope.”
On Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers halted the case without calling the former president to the stand. They called two witnesses before stopping the case: paralegal Daniel Sitko and Michael Cohen’s former legal adviser Robert Costello. Prosecutors rested their case on Monday.
Former President Donald Trump appears with attorney Todd Blanche during Trump’s criminal trial for falsifying business records to hide money paid to hush porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo makes his opening statement as the judge watches. New York City, April 22, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
Marchand dismissed the jury until after Memorial Day.
Stefanik argued that the judge’s “clear conflict of interest based on her adult daughter’s financial status in this unprecedented criminal trial seriously undermined the court’s appearance of impartiality.”
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“Given Judge Marchand’s daughter’s clientele and the large sums of money these individuals have raised and continue to raise in their prosecution of President Trump, there is no one more legally at risk than President Trump,” Stefanik said. , Judge Marchand’s daughter stands to benefit.” “She is within the 6th degree of kinship with Judge Machan, and she is certainly within the 1st degree of kinship as his daughter.”
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She further stated that “a direct application of § 100.3(e)(1)(D)(iii) requires a recusal. Judge Machan refused, so we should investigate his conduct and make the necessary I request that disciplinary action be taken.”
