In a significant escalation of the ongoing political and legal battle surrounding former President Donald Trump’s criminal conviction, the House Judiciary Committee, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), has issued a subpoena to Authentic Campaigns, a progressive campaign firm.
The move comes as part of the Republican-led Committee’s investigation into what it describes as potential conflicts of interest in Trump’s New York hush money trial.
At the center of the controversy is Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial and is now the target of political scrutiny due to his daughter’s employment at Authentic Campaigns.
The Committee’s subpoena seeks information that could shed light on what it perceives as bias or conflicts of interest in the case.
In a letter sent to Authentic Campaigns’ founder, Mike Nellis, on Wednesday, Rep. Jordan argued that the subpoena was necessary to compel the production of previously requested documents.
The letter claims that the information is critical for the Committee’s oversight of the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, led by Alvin Bragg, who prosecuted the case.
“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,” Jordan wrote. “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.”
Authentic Campaigns has not yet issued an official response to the subpoena, but Nellis took to X (formerly Twitter) to denounce the action as a politically motivated attack.
“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,” Nellis wrote. “We are thoroughly reviewing the subpoena with our legal team and will provide updates as soon as we have more information.”
Trump’s Attempts to Remove Judge Merchan
Trump’s legal team has repeatedly attempted to remove Judge Merchan from the case, citing concerns over his daughter’s work at Authentic Campaigns, a firm known for its work with Democratic candidates and non-profits.
Trump’s motions argued that Loren Merchan’s role at the firm created both actual and apparent conflicts of interest that could undermine the impartiality of the proceedings.
However, the New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics found that the case did not involve Loren Merchan or her employer “directly or indirectly.”
Despite these findings, Trump’s legal and political allies have continued to press the issue, framing it as part of a broader narrative of alleged bias against the former president.
Subpoena Marks Latest Political Attack on Trump’s Conviction
The subpoena issued to Authentic Campaigns is the latest in a series of political maneuvers aimed at challenging the legitimacy of Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
These charges stem from payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. House Republicans, including those on the Judiciary Committee, have been vocal in their criticism of the trial, with some visiting the Manhattan courthouse during the proceedings to question the integrity of the legal process.
In his letter, Rep. Jordan noted that the Committee had previously requested documents from Authentic Campaigns on multiple occasions starting August 1 but had been met with non-compliance.
The letter further states that the information obtained could inform potential legislation allowing current or former presidents to move politically charged cases to federal court, a move the Committee believes could provide a more neutral forum.
Nellis, however, remains defiant, asserting that the subpoena is a blatant attempt to intimidate his firm and divert attention from Trump’s legal troubles.
“We refuse to be bullied, and we will not allow House Republicans or MAGA extremists to spread lies about our work,” Nellis stated.
Trump has since filed a motion to dismiss his conviction, citing a recent Supreme Court case on presidential immunity.
The sentencing for Trump’s case is tentatively scheduled for Sept 18, though Trump’s legal team has requested a postponement until after the upcoming election.
