On Thursday, July 25, 2024, ABC News reported that Judge Arthur Engoron denied former President Donald Trump’s attempt to remove him from overseeing the former President’s civil fraud case.
Judge Engoron has presided over the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James for the past three and a half years. In February, he ruled that Trump and his company misstated asset values to receive financial benefits like loans and tax deductions. Trump was ordered to pay $464 million in damages.
Following this decision, Trump’s legal team filed a motion arguing that Judge Engoron showed bias and should be recused from further involvement. They claimed he violated conduct rules by allegedly discussing the case with a real estate attorney. However, Engoron maintained that the lawyer randomly confronted him to argue about an unrelated law.
In his decision denying the recusal request, Engoron said he has overseen the case impartially for years. He dismissed the conversation cited by Trump’s attorneys, describing the lawyer as “ranting” about an irrelevant issue. Engoron affirmed his confidence in continuing to preside over the litigation without prejudice.
Separately, Trump has appealed the February ruling directly to a higher court. His filing asserts that the Attorney General cannot sue to enforce alleged violations that are purely private disputes between two parties. However, Judge Engoron found sufficient evidence that Trump inflated assets for financial gain.
Source: ABC News
