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"Justice Merchan said the complaint, from more than a year ago,
was dismissed in July with a caution," spokesperson Al Baker of
the state Office of Court Administration said this week in
response to a Reuters inquiry.
Under commission rules, a caution may be taken into
consideration in the event of any future misconduct.
The complaint stemmed from donations in 2020 which, according to
the Federal Election Commission, were for $35 to the Democratic
group ActBlue that included $15 earmarked for Biden for
President and $10 each to Progressive Turnout Project and Stop
Republicans. Reuters could not determine who made the complaint.
The Republican Trump, hoping to take back the White House in a
Nov. 5 election against Democratic President Joe Biden, has
sought to disqualify Merchan from the hush money case. Trump and
his lawyers say the judge is conflicted because of his
daughter's work as a political consultant for Democrats and have
questioned the political contributions.
In its 2024 annual report, the Commission on Judicial Conduct
said contributions violate the rules on prohibited political
activity. The report said several dozen judges had apparently
made prohibited contributions in the last few years, mostly to
candidates for federal office. It said most were modest,
typically under $100 and sometimes as low as $5 or $10.
The commission's investigation and its outcome have not been
previously reported. A commission administrator declined to
comment. The commission's proceedings are confidential unless it
decides on public censure or other discipline or the judge makes
them public.
Last year, Merchan denied Trump's first motion to get him to
step aside, after a separate Advisory Committee on Judicial
Ethics said the modest, more than two-year-old contributions
could not create an impression of bias or favoritism.
On trial in New York, Trump has pleaded not guilty to falsifying
business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment to
porn star Stormy Daniels, who alleges they had a sexual
encounter. He denies having had an encounter.
Trump filed another recusal motion last month. Merchan denied
it.
(Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Chris Sanders and
Howard Goller)
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