FIRST ON FOX: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is issuing a subpoena for information on the political work conducted by the daughter of New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan.
Jordan sent a letter to Michael Nellis, the founder and CEO of Authentic Campaigns – a company that’s done political work for top Democratic clients like President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris – accusing him of failing to comply with House investigators’ demands for any and all documents related to the prosecution of former President Trump.
The committee wrote to Loren Merchan, the company’s president and Judge Merchan’s daughter, earlier this month requesting documents in its probe into Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump.
Jordan pointed out in his Wednesday letter that Nellis himself rejected that request as well as a subsequent one later in the month.
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House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan is issuing a subpoena in his probe of Trump prosecutions. (Getty Images)
“As such, the Committee is left with no choice but to resort to compulsory process,” Jordan wrote. “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. 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.”
“One such conflict is Ms. Merchan’s—daughter of Judge Merchan and President of Authentic Campaigns—work on behalf of President Trump’s political adversaries and the possible financial benefit that Ms. Merchan and Authentic Campaigns received from the prosecution and conviction of President Trump.”
Jordan said public reports indicated to him that both Nellis and Loren Merchan were “closely involved in the presidential campaigns of both President Biden and Vice President Harris.”
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Judge Juan Merchan’s image imposed over a courtroom (AP)
“During Ms. Merchan’s employment with the Harris campaign, Authentic Campaigns received over $7 million in compensation for its services. You also worked for then-presidential candidate Harris and it appears you continue to do so. Authentic Campaigns conducted work for the 2020 Biden-Harris campaign and, according to public records, was paid just over $2 million in a one-month period for its work,” he wrote.
The subpoena is narrower in scope than Jordan’s previous request for information. His Aug. 1 letter demanded Loren Merchan hand over documents related to any work for Biden and Harris, in addition to any work that refers to Trump’s prosecution or indictment.
Jordan is giving Nellis until Sept. 13 to comply, according to the subpoena viewed by Fox News Digital.
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Nellis reacted to the subpoena in a post on X on Wednesday afternoon, saying the company was “thoroughly reviewing the subpoena with our legal team and will provide updates as soon as we have more information.”
“Let us be clear: these allegations against our company are completely false and purely politically motivated,” Nellis wrote. “This is a blatant attempt to intimidate us and divert attention from Donald Trump’s conviction. We refuse to be bullied, and we will not allow House Republicans or MAGA extremists to spread lies about our work. We remain steadfast in our mission and are deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our friends and family during this time.”
Loren Merchan did work for VP Harris, according to Jordan. (Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)
Republicans have accused Judge Merchan of political bias over his daughter’s political work. Trump’s legal team asked Merchan to recuse himself before the trial began, which he did not.
A New York state ethics panel backed Merchan’s decision in a June 2023 decision.
Jordan argued in his letter, however, “Judge Merchan’s conflicts of interest and biases in the case against President Trump, the Republican nominee in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, implicate serious federal interests.”
“Congress has a specific and manifestly important interest in preventing politically motivated prosecutions of current and former presidents, especially in venues in which real or perceived biases exist. Among other things, if state or local prosecutors are able to engage in politically motivated prosecutions of Presidents of the United States (current or former) for personal acts, this could have a profound effect on how presidents choose to exercise their powers while in office,” the letter said.
Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in relation to claims he paid an adult film actress to keep quiet about their affair – which the ex-president has denied. His lawyers are appealing that ruling in light of the Supreme Court’s July decision fleshing out presidential immunity.
His sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for Sept. 18.
Fox News Digital reached out to Authentic Campaigns for comment.