Yesterday when Judge Juan Merchan delivered specific instructions to the jury, a photo showing him looking like the proverbial ‘Cat That Swallowed The Canary’ graced the front page of Fox News and other “News” sources. Intentional or otherwise, it made some wonder: ‘Did Merchan already know the jury’s verdict before it could be presented in court?’
That was Wednesday, but this follows the previous Monday, there was no photo depicting Bogota, Columbia-born Judge Merchan “screaming” at a key witness testifying in former President Donald Trump’s so-called hush money trial, with ABC News reporting it as “a fiery moment in court on Monday”.
Merchan, looking very much like the cat that swallowed the canary, is part of the ongoing lawfare campaign, main goal of which would be an ultimate photo of former President Donald Trump being led off to jail in handcuffs, sent viral worldwide.
That photo would shout “Trump, the jailed criminal!” louder than any of Judge Merchan’s “even tempered” screams.
“Robert Costello -- an attorney and longtime Trump ally -- took the stand Monday afternoon to testify about a meeting he had with Michael Cohen in April 2018 after the FBI raided Cohen's home and office. (ABC, May 20, 2024)
“As Merchan sustained a string of objections by the prosecution on procedural matters, Costello could be heard sighing loudly and uttering the words "ridiculous" or "jeez" from the witness stand. Less than 15 minutes into Costello's testimony, the typically even-tempered judge appeared fed up with Costello’s behavior and sent the jury out of the courtroom.
“The typically even-tempered Judge”? Now really, ABC.
"I'd like to discuss proper decorum in my courtroom," he said. "If you don't like my ruling, you don't say 'Jeez,' you don't say 'Strike it,' because I'm the only one who can strike testimony in the court. If you don't like my ruling, you don't give me side-eye, and you don't roll your eyes." (ABC)"Costello replied, saying he understood."But then, in an abrupt comment, Merchan addressed Costello again."Are you staring me down?" he asked, visibly angry”.
No one in the media is talking much about the unprecedented things that have gone on in the Merchan court room for weeks on end.
Little to no media reporting on the fact that Merchan’s daughter’s business made a whopping $93 million during the course of the Trump trial.
‘The Judge’s Democratic Operative Daughter’-- Newt Gingrich, (New York Sun, April 25,2024)
“When I first heard that a New York trial court judge, Juan Merchan, forbade President Donald Trump from talking about the judge’s daughter in a court gag order, I was perplexed.“Why would Mr. Trump be talking about the judge’s daughter in this so-called hush money trial? Why did she matter in the case?“Then I started doing research. The more I learned, the more outrageous Judge Merchan’s gag order became.“His daughter, Loren Merchan, is not an innocent bystander on her way to the prom, selling Girl Scout cookies, or doing charitable work for the Red Cross.“The judge’s daughter is a well-known, successful national Democratic operative who has made a lot of money attacking Republicans in general — and Mr. Trump in particular.“Ms. Merchan is the president of Authentic Campaigns, a major Democratic campaign group. In 2020, she worked for Vice President Harris’ campaign as director of digital persuasion.
"In addition to Ms. Harris, Authentic Campaigns has a list of important Democratic clients:
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
House Majority PAC
Senate Majority PAC
Senator Hickenlooper
Representative Lauren Underwood
Governor Hobbs of Arizona
Senator Booker
Representative Pat Ryan
Representative Ilhan Omar
Governor Newsom
Representative Adam Schiff
Representative Jeff Jackson
Wisconsin Democrat Party
“I think it is fair to say that someone whose firm counts Mrs. Omar and Mr. Schiff as clients is pretty hardcore anti-Trump. After all, Mr. Schiff was the House prosecutor in Mr. Trump’s first impeachment trial and became famous for using his post as chairman of the Intelligence Committee to spread outrageous politically motivated lies about Mr. Trump."According to the New York Post, two of Ms. Merchan’s major clients have raised $93 million in fundraising off the case against Trump. They specifically cited Judge Merchan’s case in their solicitations."So, Judge Merchan is trying to keep Mr. Trump from pointing out that the case is enriching his daughter. By virtually any standard, this at least creates the appearance of a conflict of interest. Whether New York law requires it or not, the judge should step away.“Yet, in the tradition of the modern corrupt Democratic Party, Judge Merchan apparently never talks with his daughter about politics or her business. Sound familiar?"This defense falls apart, when you ask his daughter. According to the New York Post: “Loren Merchan … has said her father detests politicians using Twitter, an apparent reference to Trump.“‘I’ve actually had a couple conversations with my dad recently where he’s kind of like ‘I hate that politicians use Twitter,’ and like ‘It’s so unprofessional’ and you know, ‘That’s not how a politician should behave themselves,’ and I explain that like yeah, I think there are a lot of instances where it is not used in, like when our President [Trump] tweets anything that he thinks, and like that’s not what he should be using it for,” the 34-year-old Merchan offered during a podcast appearance in June 2019.”
"So, Judge Merchan seems hopelessly biased against the defendant — and his daughter’s company is making millions of dollars off the case. Further, she could potentially benefit further based on its outcome. How could there be a clearer case for the judge recusing himself? "It’s no wonder why Judge Merchan decided Mr. Trump isn’t allowed to talk about any of this publicly. The New York legal machine is having too much fun playing “get the candidate,” and his daughter is raking in dough."This should be a simple standard to meet. In any case, if a judge’s close relative is making money attacking or supporting a party in a case before the judge, he or she should step aside. The American people should be deeply concerned.”
A lot of people made big money, on the Trump trial, including E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of rape without any proof.
E. Jean Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan taunted Trump with a new lawsuit following his Memorial Day weekend posts on Truth Social in which he defended himself against the lawfare trials.(Gateway Pundit, May 29, 2024)
"In 2019, E. Jean Carroll alleged Donald Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s."Trump has denied the allegations and called E. Jean Carroll a “whack job” who’s “not my type.”
Merchan and Judge Arthur Engoron are not the only judges demonstrating that the Law is sometimes an ass"In January, a 9-person jury ordered Trump to pay a total of $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll for statements he made defending himself against false rape accusations.“Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country, & to the Radical Left, Trump Hating Federal Judge in New York that presided over, get this, TWO separate trials, that awarded a woman, who I never met before (a quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago, doesn’t count!), 91 MILLION DOLLARS for “DEFAMATION,’” Trump said over the weekend on Truth Social.“She didn’t know when the so-called event took place – sometime in the 1990’s – never filed a police report, didn’t have to produce the “dress” that she threatened me with (it showed negative!), & sung my praises in the first half of her CNN Interview with Alison Cooper, but changed her tune in the second half – Gee, I wonder why (UNDER APPEAL!)?” Trump said.“However, Trump faces the possibility of being convicted on some or all of the nearly three-dozen state felony charges he faces in his trial in New York City, which is the first in the nation's history for a former or current president. There is also the prospect of a hung jury or an acquittal.
Merchan and Judge Arthur Engoron are not the only judges demonstrating that the Law is sometimes an ass, they’re just the latest Poster Boys, shoddy actors in a poorly written play.
The obnoxious ‘Play, ‘Get Donald Trump’ is not destined to end—even if the jury comes in with an Innocent verdict, as Democrat mega donors line up to promote lineups at off Broadway, summer stock theatre and many dinner theatres.
Judi McLeod——Bio and Archives
-- Judi McLeod, Founder, Owner and Editor of Canada Free Press, is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years’ experience in the print and online media. A former Toronto Sun columnist, she also worked for the Kingston Whig Standard. Her work has appeared throughout the ‘Net, including on Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.
