Former Southern California U.S. Attorney Carol Lam warned MSNBC’s audience that the judge overseeing Former President Trump’s criminal case made some problematic campaign donations, including to Biden in 2020.
MSNBC host Lindsey Reiser said: “We’ve also learned, during an FEC filing report, that Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over Trump’s New York arraignment, made a campaign donation to President Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, it was for $15.nAre the optics problematic here?”
Lam said: “I think the optics are a bit problematic. To be clear, the donations were made in 2020, before Judge Merchan had either the Trump organization case assigned to him or, obviously, this case, but it is troubling optics.
“I think, for any judge to have made a political contribution, and then to have a party who is either the beneficiary or not the beneficiary of that political contribution before that judge in court.
“Now, it was a trivial amount of money and this is a trial level judge.
“The judge in this case is not the ultimate trier of fact, the jury is.
“But the judge does call some balls and some strikes during the course of the trial, and if there’s a conviction, the judge is responsible for sentencing.
“That is all subject to review on appeal.
“However, it is probably not the best course of action for a judge to have made political contributions while a sitting judge, with the possibility that such cases can arise before him,” Lam said.
MSNBC ANCHOR: “Judge…who presided over Trump’s…arraignment made a campaign to President Biden’s 2020 Presidential campaign…Are the optics problematic?”
CAROL LAM: “I think the optics are a bit problematic.”
A Soros-funded prosecutor and a judge who donated to Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/rtzGWNkvM2
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 7, 2023
WATCH: What would create Trump’s felony charge? The tax charge may be “cleaner” & “most removed from politics.”
Carol Lam: “A conspiracy count would allow the DA to get in certain types of evidence about the acts of co-conspirators who may not be charged.” pic.twitter.com/8PtHQBW7TI
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 4, 2023
