WASHINGTON, D.C. – A political consulting firm led by the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan, the New York judge who presided over President Donald Trump’s historic 2024 criminal trial, has received more than $200,000 from Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s reelection campaign this cycle, according to federal campaign finance records.
His daughter’s firm is connected to an ongoing investigation by House Judiciary Committee Republicans, who argue that Judge Merchan’s impartiality has been compromised by his daughter’s deep ties to Democratic campaigns and that she has information to prove that her father’s crusade against Trump was motivated by money and politics, not justice.
The firm in question, Authentic Campaigns, Inc., a Chicago-based progressive digital consulting and strategy company, is run by Loren (Lauren) Merchan, who serves as its president. Authentic Campaigns specializes in digital persuasion, fundraising strategies, and social media operations for Democratic candidates and organizations nationwide. Since its founding, the firm has built a reputation as one of the most influential players in left-leaning political consulting, working with clients ranging from congressional campaigns to presidential candidates.
“Since 2019, you have been closely involved in presidential campaigns for both President Biden and Vice President Harris. In 2019, you served as the director of digital persuasion for then-presidential candidate Harris’s campaign while simultaneously serving as Vice President at Authentic Campaigns, a Chicago-based progressive political consulting firm,” the committee stated in a letter to Ms. Merchan requesting cooperation with the investigation. “During your time working on behalf of Vice President Harris, Authentic Campaigns received over $7 million in compensation for its services. According to your now-deleted LinkedIn, after Vice President Harris dropped out of the Democrat primary, you were promoted to President of Authentic Campaigns.”
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan rose to national prominence in 2024 when he oversaw Trump’s Manhattan hush money trial, which ended with Trump’s conviction on multiple counts of falsifying business records. It marked the first time in American history that a former president was criminally convicted. Judge Merchan also held Trump in contempt of court during the proceedings, cementing his role as a pivotal figure in one of the most high-profile trials of the modern era.
Throughout the trial, Trump repeatedly criticized Merchan, alleging bias and citing his daughter’s work with Democratic political operations. While Merchan did not recuse himself, he faced scrutiny from conservative lawmakers who claimed his daughter’s professional and financial connections raised significant conflict-of-interest concerns.
That case has been “indefinitely postponed” since last November.
Authentic Campaigns and Democratic ties
Loren Merchan’s Authentic Campaigns has amassed an extensive portfolio of Democratic clients. Records show the firm previously worked on the Kamala Harris 2020 presidential campaign, where Loren Merchan served as director of digital persuasion before Harris dropped out of the Democratic primary. The firm later became heavily involved in the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign, handling digital paid media, social media management, and even experimental artificial intelligence-driven outreach to undecided voters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to its presidential-level work, Authentic Campaigns has partnered with Senate Majority PAC and Rep. Adam Schiff’s campaign for U.S. Senate in California, among others. Both of those clients reportedly raised tens of millions of dollars in donations referencing Trump’s indictment during fundraising appeals following the April 2023 charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Republican lawmakers have cited those fundraising surges as evidence that Authentic Campaigns, and by extension Loren Merchan, financially benefited from the very prosecution overseen by her father. According to House Judiciary Committee testimony from legal experts in 2024, even the appearance of such a conflict of interest should have warranted Judge Merchan’s recusal.
Sherrill’s payments to the firm
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat representing New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, has paid Authentic Campaigns more than $200,000 during the current election cycle for digital consulting and related services, filings show. Sherrill, a Navy veteran and former federal prosecutor, first won her seat in 2018 by flipping a longtime Republican stronghold. Since then, she has established herself as one of the Democratic Party’s key figures in competitive suburban districts.
The payments to Authentic Campaigns demonstrate the firm’s continued role as a go-to consultant for prominent Democratic campaigns. While such payments are standard within the political consulting world, the connection has drawn attention because of the Judiciary Committee’s broader investigation into what it calls “politically motivated prosecutions” of Trump.
In light of Mikie Sherrill’s U.S. Naval Academy cheating scandal, conservative media personality and close ally to Trump called out Sherrill on X.
“You’re just mad you got caught. @RepSherrill @MikieSherrill PS: who are you to say you’re against so called “weaponized government”? Your political consultant is Loren Merchan, the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan, who you have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to. Loren is the head of Authentic Campaigns @Authentic_HQ . Why have you sent so much money to the personal home address of Judge Merchan’s daughter? You were paying her during Trump’s trial as well, which her father was overseeing when he was trying to throw President Trump in prison. You love weaponized government. Here’s the receipts in case you forgot,” Loomer said.
Congressional scrutiny
The House Judiciary Committee, led by Republicans, has launched multiple oversight efforts into the Manhattan District Attorney’s case against Trump. Those efforts have included sharp criticism of Judge Merchan’s decision not to recuse himself, citing both his daughter’s work and his own past political contributions to Democratic causes.
In an August 2024 letter addressed to Loren Merchan, Judiciary Committee members requested records related to Authentic Campaigns’ fundraising activities and client work, arguing that her professional role created “at minimum, the perception of a conflict” in her father’s courtroom. The committee cited expert testimony, including from former judges, that questioned how the Judicial Ethics Committee could ignore potential financial benefits tied to Trump’s trial.
The letter also detailed Authentic Campaigns’ extensive past work for Vice President Harris and the Biden campaign, pointing to millions of dollars in compensation the firm received for services ranging from digital advertising to messaging strategy.
Key Points
- Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s campaign has paid over $200,000 this cycle to Authentic Campaigns, led by Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter Loren.
- Judge Merchan presided over Trump’s 2024 Manhattan hush money trial, drawing criticism from Trump and GOP lawmakers.
- The House Judiciary Committee is investigating possible conflicts of interest, citing fundraising benefits Democratic groups received during Trump’s prosecution.
The courtroom and campaign trail are colliding once more, placing both Judge Merchan and his daughter squarely in the political crossfire.