Jim Jordan Subpoenas Company Over Judge Merchan Links

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has subpoenaed a company that employs the daughter of the judge who oversaw Donald Trump‘s hush money trial.

On Wednesday, the Ohio congressman sent a letter to Michael Nellis, the founder and CEO of Authentic Campaigns, which helps raise funds for Democrat figures including for President Joe Biden‘s and Vice President Kamala Harris‘ 2020 election campaigns, demanding apparent information and communications the company had with Judge Juan Merchan.

The judge’s daughter, Loren Merchan, is a partner at Authentic Campaigns. A number of Trump supporters suggested that Judge Merchan should have recused himself from the former president’s falsifying business records trial, where he was found guilty of 34 charges, over apparent conflict of interest in the historic legal proceedings.

Jordan is now asking Nellis to sit for deposition and provide documents relating to Authentic Campaigns’ alleged communications with Judge Merchan, or anything related to the prosecution of Trump at his hush money trial, as part of the committee’s work on the “weaponization” of the federal government.

Nellis described the claims by Jordan that his company or Loren Merchan had anything to do with Trump’s hush money trial as “completely false and purely politically motivated.”

Nellis previously wrote to Jordan and hit out at the MAGA congressman and other Republicans on the Judiciary Committee for using “valuable time and taxpayer dollars to perpetuate a right-wing conspiracy theory,” adding the investigation into Loren Merchan and Authentic Campaigns is a “disgraceful misuse of power.”

In his letter to Nellis, Jordan wrote: “Popularly elected prosecutors, such as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, have engaged in an unprecedented abuse of authority by prosecuting a former President of the United States and current nominee for that office.

“Of relevance to the Committee’s oversight is the impartiality of Judge Juan Merchan, the presiding trial judge, due to his refusal to recuse himself from the case in light of his apparent conflicts of interest and biases.

“One such conflict is Ms. Merchan’s—daughter of Judge Merchan and President of Authentic Campaigns—work on behalf of President Trump’s political adversaries and the possible financial benefit that Ms. Merchan and Authentic Campaigns received from the prosecution and conviction of President Trump.”

While sharing the subpoena on X, formerly Twitter, Nellis said: “This is yet another abuse of power, aimed at promoting a baseless right-wing conspiracy theory that links our company, Authentic, to Donald Trump’s fraud trial.

“Let us be clear: these allegations against our company are completely false and purely politically motivated. This is a blatant attempt to intimidate us and divert attention from Donald Trump’s conviction. We refuse to be bullied, and we will not allow House Republicans or MAGA extremists to spread lies about our work.”

Nellis said that his company will be reviewing the subpoena with their legal team.

Nellis previously told Jordan that his company had “nothing to produce” with regards to communications with Judge Merchan.

Jordan’s office has been contacted for comment via email.

Judge Merchan has rejected three requests from Trump to recuse himself from the hush money legal proceedings over alleged conflict of interest surrounding his daughter’s work.

The latest attempt suggested that Loren Merchan’s work for Harris, the Democratic Party‘s 2024 nominee, warranted a new reason for the judge to step aside.

“Stated plainly, Defendant’s arguments are nothing more than a repetition of stale and unsubstantiated claims,” Merchan wrote in his August 13 ruling.

Trump is scheduled to be sentenced over his felony falsifying business records conviction on September 18, but is unlikely to be handed a custodial sentence.