(DailyAnswer.org) – The legal team of former President Donald Trump has filed court documents to have Judge Arthur Engoron removed from Trump’s civil fraud case in New York.
The attorneys found out that the judge allegedly participated in “prohibited communications” about the case involving an outside party. The move by Trump’s legal teams comes as they are appealing Engoron’s guilty verdict, which ruled that the former president would need to pay the state almost half a billion dollars.
Trump’s attorneys referred to an interview with Adam Bailey, a real estate lawyer, in which he claimed to have spoken to the judge at the courthouse while the trial was ongoing. The court documents filed by Trump’s legal team stated that, according to Bailey, he approached the judge when he saw him in the corner of the courthouse. The lawyer added that he wanted to share his thoughts with the judge and wanted him to “get it right”. Trump’s attorneys argued that by discussing the case Engoron had disregarded his responsibilities as a judge.
Engoron found the former president guilty in February and ordered him to pay $350 million for exaggerating his wealth, specifically the value of real estate, to secure better loan terms. With interest included, the amount owed by Trump amounts to over $450 million. The fine shortly followed a separate order Trump received to pay $83.3 million to E Jean Carroll, a writer the former president was accused of defaming. It is possible that Trump might not have enough cash available to pay both fines.
In his response to Engoron’s ruling, Trump called the judge “crooked” for handing him the fine and claimed he had done nothing other than succeed with a “great company”. He said the trial was a “witch hunt” and an act of interference in the 2024 presidential election.
Trump’s lawyers commented on the “appearance of impropriety” regarding Engoron’s discussion with Bailey, and accused the judge of violating the solemn oath of the court. They argued that Engoron not only contravened the Constitution and the law, but also his profession’s governing standards.
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