VP Harris hired firm run by Judge Merchan's daughter: ethics complaint

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign employed a marketing consulting firm managed by Judge Juan Merchan's daughter, an ethics complaint alleges.

Harris's campaign allegedly paid the firm Authentic Campaigns $468 on July 30, nine days after Harris replaced President Joe Biden on the Democratic Ticket, Off the Press reported.

The complaint, filed by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., argues Judge Merchan should have recused himself because of his daughter's alleged financial interest in the outcome of the Trump hush-money case over which Judge Merchan presides.

Stefanik's complaint asks the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct to conduct a "fresh inquiry" into Judge Merchan's alleged conflict of interest in his daughter Loren Merchan's work with the Harris campaign.

The New York judicial conduct code mandates that any judge with a "relative up to and including the sixth degree [who] has a financial interest in the outcome" must recuse from the case. Merchan's daughter is a relative of the first degree.