Former President Donald Trump’s legal team has escalated their defense strategy by demanding that New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron recuse himself from Trump’s fraud case. This comes in light of an investigation by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct into a conversation between Engoron and real estate lawyer Adam Leitman Bailey, which preceded Engoron’s $454 million penalty ruling against Trump, according to WNBC-TV.
Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, emphasized the importance of judicial impartiality in her statement to The Hill. “The New York Code of Judicial Conduct exists to ensure that litigants are afforded a fair and impartial trial,” she said. “Justice Engoron’s communications with Attorney Adam Leitman Bailey regarding the merits of this case, however, directly violate that code and demonstrate that Judge Engoron cannot serve as a fair arbiter.”
Grab Your Shipment of $100 Gold Bar…. for FREE – Only for Patriotic Americans!
Bailey had previously revealed that his conversation with Engoron took place in February. He believed his comments were “off the record” and stated that he “only discussed with the Judge the September Summary Judgment decision,” which found Trump and his co-defendants liable for fraud concerning the valuation of Trump Organization properties. “I did not think that speaking to Judge Engoron about my own personal views of his already published decision was wrong in any way,” Bailey added. “I wanted him to know what I think and why… I really want him to get it right.”
However, Bailey later clarified that he and Engoron did not mention “Donald Trump” explicitly but suggested that the case they discussed was evident. “Well, obviously we weren’t talking about the Mets,” he quipped.
Trump’s legal team seized upon Bailey’s disclosures, arguing that they raise serious concerns about potential bias and improper influence on Judge Engoron. The filing asserted, “allegations have surfaced revealing this Court may have engaged in actions fundamentally incompatible with the responsibilities attendant to donning the black robe and sitting in judgment.”
