Former President Donald Trump took to social media to say the New York City judge set to preside over Trump's arraignment next week "hates me" and was "hand picked by [District Attorney Alvin] Bragg and the prosecutors."
"The Judge 'assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a 'Case' that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"His name is Juan Manuel Marchan," Trump wrote, misspelling the judge's surname, which is Merchan.
Trump claimed Merchan, who has been an acting State Supreme Court justice since 2009, "was hand picked by Bragg & the Prosecutors, & is the same person who 'railroaded' my 75 year old former CFO, Allen Weisselberg, to take a 'plea' deal (Plead GUILTY, even if you are not, 90 DAYS, fight us in Court, 10 years (life!) in jail. He strong armed Allen, which a judge is not allowed to do, & treated my companies, which didn't 'plead,' VICIOUSLY. APPEALING!"
Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury Thursday for allegedly falsifying business records related to a hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, after years of investigations into his personal, political, and business dealings.
Merchan, who was born in Colombia and moved to the U.S. when he was 6, last year oversaw the trial of the Trump Organization, which was convicted in December of defrauding tax authorities during a 15-year period.