On April 3, 2024, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik released an official statement demanding that Judge Juan Merchan recuse from President Trump’s trial. The statement is on her House site. It alleges judicial bias, cites 2020 donations to “Biden’s campaign and another anti-Trump cause,” and alleges that Merchan’s adult daughter is a “Democrat political operative who has financially benefited from her father’s unprecedented trial.” Those are Stefanik’s words. They are allegations. They are not findings of this court or of this site.
The Washington Examiner reported a related ethics complaint to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, arguing New York Rules of Judicial Conduct 22 NYCRR 100.3(E) on an interest that could be substantially affected by the proceeding. Just the News reported Stefanik pushing an investigation of the judge handling the trial. Treat both as reporting of her allegation.
A later Stefanik complaint (campaign PDF dated September 6, 2024) recited a May 21, 2024, complaint, a July 3, 2024, Commission rejection, and a claimed July 30, 2024, Harris-campaign FEC disbursement of $468 to Authentic Campaigns Inc. for web hosting. That dollar figure is Stefanik’s reading of an FEC report. It is not independently re-keyed here as a Fact line. Open the FEC report if you want the line item.
Merchan’s answer is in his written recusal orders, not in a press release. See the August 2023, April 2024, and August 2024 posts.