A bid for a mistrial made by former U.S. President Donald Trump in a civil fraud lawsuit filed against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James has been rejected by a judge. Justice Arthur Engoron of the New York state court in Manhattan dismissed Trump’s request, stating that it was “utterly without merit.” The lawsuit accuses Trump, his adult sons, his company, and other defendants of defrauding banks and insurers through the manipulation of financial statements and asset values. James is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump’s involvement in the New York real estate business. The trial began in October.
Trump’s bid for a mistrial was not expected to succeed, given the judge’s previous findings that Trump’s financial statements were fraudulent. Trump had accused the judge and his law clerk of political bias. However, Engoron defended his own impartiality and his law clerk, Allison Greenfield, stating that he had presided over the case fairly and intended to continue doing so until its conclusion. Trump’s lawyers had taken issue with various rulings by Engoron and objected to Greenfield’s political donations, claiming they were unethical. Engoron stated that his rulings spoke for themselves and that Greenfield’s donations were permitted under state law and ethics guidelines.
Trump and his lawyers have consistently attacked Engoron and Greenfield, leading to gag orders being placed to prevent them from commenting on the judge’s staff. Trump has been fined $15,000 for twice violating the gag orders. However, a state appeals court judge temporarily put the gag orders on hold, pending review by a five-judge appellate panel. Trump wasted no time in attacking Greenfield on his social media platform, calling her “politically biased and out of control.”
In addition to this civil fraud lawsuit, Trump also faces four unrelated federal and state criminal indictments, including charges related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty in those cases.
