‘White Guys For Harris’ Fights Back
A prominent figure in the liberal group “White Dudes for Harris,” Mike Nellis, who leads Authentic Campaigns, has openly defied a congressional subpoena issued by Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio. The subpoena, coming from Jordan and the Republican-majority House Judiciary Committee, is aimed at probing potential conflicts of interest involving Nellis’ firm and Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan.
In a defiant post on X, Nellis criticized the subpoena as lacking legitimacy. “I reject the subpoena from Jim Jordan and the Republican-led committee outright,” Nellis stated. “This action has no real legislative value and is fundamentally invalid, unconstitutional, and unenforceable.”
The controversy centers around Loren Merchan, the president of Authentic Campaigns and the daughter of Judge Merchan, who is presiding over former President Donald Trump’s ongoing trial in New York concerning alleged business document violations. Representative Jordan had previously requested that Nellis provide a deposition and a sworn affidavit clarifying that Authentic Campaigns had no interactions with Judge Merchan.
In response, Nellis’s legal team issued a statement denying any connection between their work and the Trump trial. The letter, which was also shared publicly, asserted, “Authentic’s activities are in no way related to the legal proceedings involving former President Trump. Our firm has had no involvement or influence in these matters.”
The letter further condemned Jordan’s insinuations as “baseless and perilous,” arguing that any suggestion of impartiality issues due to Authentic Campaigns’ work on behalf of Trump’s political opponents is unfounded.
Moreover, Loren Merchan has refused to provide documents requested by Jordan concerning Authentic Campaigns’ involvement with the Biden-Harris reelection effort. Jordan’s inquiry suggested that there could be significant financial incentives for Authentic Campaigns if Trump were prosecuted in a case overseen by Judge Merchan, a notion the firm strongly disputes.
