Former President Trump claimed Saturday that the judge in his New York civil fraud trial is a “complete and total puppet” of New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“Judge Arthur Engoron, the most overturned and stayed Judge in the State, and the Racist New York State Attorney General, the most corrupt & incompetent A.G. in the Country (Violent Crime Is Raging!), have FRAUDULENTLY Undervalued my properties, by many times, in order to make me look bad, and make the Judge’s original ridiculous finding of Fraud pass the ‘smell test,’ which it does not,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump’s newest attack comes after the temporary lifting of a limited gag order by an appellate judge that prevented the former president and his attorneys from talking about Engoron’s staff. His comments also follow a denial of a motion for mistrial in the case, pushing back against a claim by Trump that the trial judge and his principal law clerk’s alleged bias against him had “tainted” the case.
“This Judicial and Prosecutorial corruption and misconduct took place BEFORE THE TRIAL EVEN STARTED, & WITHOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE CASE,” the former president continued Saturday. “Judge Engoron just did what the highly partisan A.G. told him to do. He is her complete and total puppet!”
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik (R), a staunch Trump supporter, added onto her original ethics complaint against Engoron on Friday, claiming the judge “wrongfully denied” Trump’s mistrial motion.
Following the gag order lift, Trump immediately took to Truth Social to blast Engoron and his law clerk.
“Judge Arthur Engoron has just been overturned (stayed!) by the New York State Appellate Division (Appeals Court), for the 4th TIME (on the same case!),” Trump posted Thursday.
“His Ridiculous and Unconstitutional Gag Order, not allowing me to defend myself against him and his politically biased and out of control, Trump Hating Clerk, who is sinking him and his Court to new levels of LOW, is a disgrace,” he added.
Despite the pushback, Engoron has already ruled the former president and his business are liable for fraud. James, in her case, alleged that the Trump Organization sought lower taxes and better insurance coverage by falsely inflating and deflating the value of its assets.
The attorney general’s office is seeking some $250 million in financial penalties and to bar Trump — and his adult children — from operating businesses in New York.