AN ethics complaint against the judge at the center of Donald Trump’s hush money payment trial has been dismissed.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan donated $15 to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and contributed to the group Stop Republicans.
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Investigators launched an investigation after receiving a tip about the judge’s political donations.
“Judge Merchan said the complaint, from more than a year ago, was dismissed in July out of an abundance of caution,” said spokesman Al Baker of the state Office of Court Administration. Reuters this week.
Merchan made a $35 donation to the Democratic organization Act Blue.
Of that total, $15 went to the Biden for President campaign group.
Read more about the silent money trial
Smaller donations went to the Stop Republicans movement and the Progressive Turnout Project.
It is not known who filed the complaint against Merchan.
Trump attacked Merchan in a Social Truth post on Friday.
He said Merchan is a highly confrontational judge.
Trump also claimed that the judge is a threat to democracy.
The US Sun has reached out to the New York City Public Affairs Office for comment.
Merchan is in the spotlight as he presides over Trump’s trial in New York.
Trump was accused of falsifying business records in an attempt to cover up a secret payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Trump vehemently denies the accusations made against him.
But he faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
It’s possible the trial will conclude in the coming weeks — months before Americans go to the polls in the general election.
Donald Trump’s legal battles
Donald Trump is the first former president to be charged with state or federal crimes. He has been indicted four times and faces a range of charges. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is juggling court dates with rallies during the campaign. The US Sun analyzes the former president’s current legal battles.
New York Business Records
- Trump is accused of falsifying business records allegedly linked to $130,000 in secret payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
- The payment, executed by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, ensured that an embarrassing story would not be published before the 2016 presidential election.
- Trump could face up to four years in prison if convicted.
- Trump can only be pardoned by the governor of New York if he is convicted.
- The trial began on April 15 and is expected to last until May.
Classified Federal Documents
- Trump is accused of mishandling classified documents after leaving office and storing them at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
- He was also accused of obstructing federal agents as they tried to recover the documents.
- Trump is also accused of having shown the trove of files to people who were not supposed to see them.
- Trump faces a range of charges, including allegations that he violated the Espionage Act.
- Trump is also accused of engaging in a conspiracy to obstruct justice.
- He faces 100 years in prison if convicted.
- The case is not expected to go to trial before the November elections.
- If Trump wins, he could pardon himself or order the Justice Department to drop the charges because the case was brought at the federal level.
Federal Electoral Subversion
- In August 2023, the Department of Justice charged Trump with the events linked to the January 6 insurrection and the organization of false voter lists.
- Trump was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, conspiracy against rights and obstruction of an attempt to obstruct an official proceeding.
- If convicted, Trump could face a maximum sentence of 55 years in prison.
- A trial date has not yet been decided, but it is unlikely that the case will go to trial before the November elections.
- The Supreme Court is considering arguments over whether Trump is immune from prosecution for some or all of his actions while in the White House.
Election interference in Georgia:
- Trump and 18 others have been accused of trying to change the outcome of the 2020 election in Georgia by pressuring local officials and election workers.
- The district attorney for Fulton County, Georgia, which includes Atlanta, indicted Trump on racketeering charges in August 2023.
- He turned himself in to a Georgia prison and had his mugshot taken.
- A trial is not expected to take place before the November elections.
- Trump cannot pardon himself if convicted because the charges were brought at the state level.
- In Georgia, only a board appointed by the governor can approve pardons.
Americans are reportedly shelling out hundreds of dollars to secure a seat on the Manhattan court.
Trump found himself in trouble with Merchan after the judge ruled he violated a gag order multiple times.
The brash tycoon was fined $10,000 in total for the violations.
Merchan warned the bombastic presidential candidate that he could end up being arrested if he continued to violate the order.
The judge said jailing Trump was the last thing he wanted to do, but warned he needed to protect the dignity of the justice system.
The trial saw Daniels and Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen testify.
Cohen admitted that he paid Daniels $130,000 to keep silent about an alleged affair she had with Trump.
Trump vehemently denies the affair allegations.
But the former president seemed uncomfortable when Daniels recounted meeting Trump in 2006.
Cohen was questioned by prosecutors before being cross-examined by Trump’s defense team.
Key witness Cohen was questioned about comments he made before the trial began.
It’s just one of four criminal cases Trump has against him.
Trump, who is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been indicted on three other occasions.
He is accused of mishandling confidential documents at his resort in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
Trump was also indicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, insurrection and for allegedly trying to overturn the election results in Georgia.
Trump is juggling the accusations with campaign rallies while the race as the White House heats up.
He and Joe Biden should face each other in a debate next month.
Another confrontation was proposed for September.
Trump claimed that Biden is the worst debater he has ever faced.
“He can’t put two sentences together!” he exploded.
Trump described Biden as dishonest and labeled him the worst president in US history.
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What are Trump and Biden’s platforms?
A look at the issues that matter most to candidates.
Biden Talking Points:
- The importance of democracy after the January 6th attack on the Capitol
- Defender of abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade at 6-3 in 2022
- His Build Back Better plan, the $2.2 trillion infrastructure spending bill introduced in 2021
- Support for Ukraine and Israel while they are at war
- Highlight the strong US economy and low unemployment rates during his presidency
Trump Talking Points:
- Slam issues on the US-Mexico border, which was a critical talking point for his 2016 victory
- Criticize the series of criminal and civil cases filed against him
- Applaud the Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Discuss a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, although he did not say which country wants to win
- Defends parents’ rights to regulate and restrict discussion of gender, sexuality and race in schools
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
