Laura Loomer, a conservative investigative journalist, claims to have unearthed a potential link between the wife of the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial and Letitia James, the state’s Democratic Attorney General prosecuting him for alleged business fraud.
In a post on X, Loomer presented her findings, suggesting they raise questions about Judge Juan Merchan’s impartiality in conducting a fair trial. She highlights Loren Merchan, the judge’s daughter, who has faced criticism for her anti-Trump social media posts and alleged profiting from her father’s case.
Loomer asserts that she obtained employment records for Judge Merchan’s wife, Lara Merchan, revealing her tenure at the Attorney General’s Office from 2009 to 2022, overlapping with James’s tenure since 2019. James initiated the investigation into Trump’s real estate empire in 2019, with litigation becoming public in August 2020. Lara Merchan’s role as a special assistant during this period suggests potential involvement with case-relevant information.
According to documents shared by Loomer, Lara Merchan reportedly earned around $150,000 while serving as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General. Loomer further suggests that Judge Merchan and Lara Merchan were married, citing a mortgage document from Jacksonville, Florida, where they jointly signed as the original mortgagors. The document indicates their primary residence is located in an undisclosed county in New York.
Former President Trump has previously criticized Loren Merchan for allegedly influencing the case due to her ties to Democratic clients like Congressman Adam Schiff. Trump highlighted the disparity in freedom of expression, contrasting his limitations with Loren Merchan’s social media activity.
On Wednesday, Judge Merchan denied Trump’s request to delay his hush money trial while seeking a ruling on presidential immunity from the U.S. Supreme Court.
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