On Thursday, February 22, 2024, The Hill reported that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene harshly criticized New York Judge Arthur Engoron who had ruled against former President Donald Trump in a business fraud case earlier this month.
In his ruling, Judge Engoron found that Trump and his company had inflated the value of some of their assets such as the Mar-a-Lago country club in Florida. While Trump had claimed the property was worth over $1 billion, the judge agreed with an appraisal that valued it at between $18-27 million.
Rep. Greene took to her social media platform and demanded that Judge Engoron be “disrobed and thrown out, calling him a “disgrace.” She argued that Mar-a-Lago was worth more than the valuation in the judge’s ruling. Greene posted a 1981 news clipping showing the property was previously sold for $20 million to argue that its value had increased since.
Judge Engoron has maintained that he relied on the assessment of a local real estate appraiser in reaching his decision, not making an independent ruling on the property’s worth. He reiterated at one hearing that reports should not say he valued Mar-a-Lago at $18 million.
While Trump denies any wrongdoing, the legal defeat also barred him from operating businesses in New York for the next three years. His lawyers have requested a 30-day stay on paying the $355 million penalty, as Trump plans to appeal the verdict. The criticism from Rep. Greene is the latest attack on Judge Engoron’s impartiality amid the ongoing fallout from the high-profile case.
Source: The Hill
