House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has recently subpoenaed the CEO of Authentic Campaigns, Michael Nellis. This comes after Jordan accused Nellis of failing to comply with previous requests for information regarding the political consulting firm’s work with Trump’s adversaries.
In a letter addressed to Nellis, Jordan expressed concern over the impartiality of New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the trial case against former President Donald Trump set to take place next month. Jordan has questioned Merchan’s decision not to recuse himself from the case despite his apparent conflicts of interest and biases.
Loren Merchan, the judge’s daughter and president of Authentic Campaigns, is linked to Trump’s opponents as she has worked on behalf of several prominent Democrats including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority PAC. These connections have raised concerns over potential biases in the case involving former President Trump.
In response to the subpoena, Nellis shared an image of it on Twitter, claiming that it is an “abuse of power” and a politically motivated attempt to distract from Trump’s conviction. He has stated that he will be reviewing the document with his lawyers before deciding how to proceed.
Jordan has set a deadline for Nellis to comply with the subpoena, requesting that he provide the necessary information by September 13th. The New York Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics determined last year that a judge’s relative’s independent political activities are not sufficient grounds to question their impartiality in court.
