New York Judge Arthur Engoron dismissed Donald Trump's lawyers' attempt to seek a mistrial in his civil fraud trial, labeling their arguments as "nonsensical" and "utterly without merit."
Trump's legal team had filed a motion earlier in the week, asserting partisan bias due to the clerk's political donations and the judge's connection to a high school alumni newsletter featuring articles related to the case. Judge Engoron rejected these claims, clarifying that the newsletter routinely references graduates, including himself, and that political contribution restrictions do not apply to his clerk, who is concurrently running for an elected judicial position.
Furthermore, Engoron unequivocally rejected any notion that his clerk wielded influence over his decisions, stating, "Such arguments are nonsensical; and in any event, they are a red herring, as my Principal Law Clerk does not make rulings or issue orders — I do."
As highlighted by legal analyst Jordan Rubin, Trump's legal team had been cultivating a narrative of adversarial relations between the former president and the judge, laying the groundwork for a mistrial request. Engoron had previously imposed a gag order on Trump's lawyers due to numerous "inappropriate remarks" about his staff, a move prompted by threats received by the court since the trial's commencement.
Although the gag order was temporarily lifted by a New York appellate judge on Thursday, citing concerns about "constitutional and statutory rights," Trump swiftly seized the opportunity to criticize Engoron's clerk, branding her as "politically biased and out of control." He further denounced the gag order's reinstatement as "a disgrace."
