Why Donald Trump hush-money judge is under scrutiny over $35

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s hush money case in New York has found himself under scrutiny over $35. That’s the amount New York Judge Juan Merchan donated to Democrats in 2020 including $15 to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. The news comes in the backdrop of the former president claiming that Merchan, a former prosecutor who has been on the bench for 16 years, ‘hates him’. Let’s take a closer look: What happened? As per CNN, Merchan made the donations in July 2020 through the fundraising website ActBlue. Merchan gave the Biden campaign $15, another $10 to the Progressive Turnout Project and another to the group Stop Republicans. The Progressive Turnout Project on its website says its goal is to “rally Democrats to vote.” The Stop Republicans website describes the group as “dedicated to resisting the Republican Party and Donald Trump’s radical right-wing legacy.” “Our voter contact programs target the worst of the worst elected Republicans, especially the most craven — and most vulnerable — Senators,” the website further states. The New York Post quoted Federal Election Commission records as stating that Merchan put down his occupation as “judge” and the New York State Office of Court Administration as his employer.

It is important to note that Merchan isn’t alone.

At least 30,000 people who listed their profession as ‘judges’ donated to candidates in 2021 and 2022, as per NBC. The donations, made to candidates on both sides of the aisle, ranged from under $10 to over $10,000. But that isn’t likely to deter Trump, who has already attacked Merchan and his family multiple times. The judge “HATES ME,” Trump railed on his social media platform prior to the hearing. [caption id=“attachment_12409952” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Former US president Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower in New York on Tuesday. AP[/caption] “I have a Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife and family whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris and now receives money from the Biden-Harris campaign. And a lot of it,” Trump, who is running for president in 2024, told his supporters as per Yahoo. Merchan’s daughter in 2020 was the president of Authentic Campaigns – a group Kamala Harris employed when she was running for president. While Trump has claimed Merchan was ‘handpicked’ by the prosecution,  Merchan received Trump’s case because of a rotation in which judges are assigned to oversee grand juries and any cases that arise from them. Merchan also often handles financial cases. According to NBC, Merchan and his family have received ‘multiple threats’ since Trump’s arrest. Trump claims he is “completely innocent” and has called the case a “political persecution.” He pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records on 4 April. Merchan ruled that TV cameras won’t be allowed in his courtroom. What do experts say? Stephen Gillers, a legal ethics professor at New York University, told CNN that New York judges are barred from “soliciting funds for, paying an assessment to, or making a contribution to a political organization or candidate.” “The contribution to Biden and possibly the one to ‘Stop Republicans’ would be forbidden unless there is some other explanation that would allow them,” Gillers said. Gillers added it shouldn’t be a problem for Merchan given the ‘small sums’ involved. “The donations were unwise as a matter of appearance,” Chuck Rosenberg, an NBC News legal analyst and a former federal prosecutor told the website.

“But appearances matter.”

So, does Trump have grounds to ask Merchan to recuse himself? Gillers says don’t bet it on it. “Absolutely not. This does not come anywhere near the kind of proof required for recusal.” With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.