America First Legal (AFL) has filed a lawsuit against the Ethics Commission for the New York State Unified Court System and Judge Juan Merchan. The legal action, initiated today, concerns the refusal to produce Judge Merchan’s financial disclosures from 2018-2024, as mandated by law.
According to New York Law, judges are required to file annual financial disclosures that must be available for public inspection upon request. AFL initially requested these disclosures on June 6, 2024, but did not receive a response. On August 30, 2024, AFL sent a demand letter to the Ethics Commission threatening legal action if Judge Merchan’s financial disclosures were not provided. Today’s lawsuit follows through on that threat.
Dan Epstein, Vice President of America First Legal, stated: “The law is clear that judicial financial disclosures must be released to the public. New York’s highest court has stated that such disclosures are necessary for parties before the courts to get a fair shake. The public needs to know what Judge Merchan is hiding or even if he failed to file financial disclosures at all. This is especially important given the fact that Merchan appears to have engaged in unlawful campaign contributions and is on the precipice of criminally sentencing the former President of the United States. Fundamental fairness dictates a resolution of America First Legal’s suit in its favor.”
The public policy behind these rules aims to allow parties and members of the public access to information regarding potential conflicts, bias, or prejudice.