Trump’s attorneys are challenging Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron’s continued involvement and accused Attorney General Letitia James’ office of trying to “make a judge” because it noted Engoron’s knowledge of the case in documents assigning a judge and the prosecution and subpoena disputes linked as “related” matters.
In a letter Thursday to the court’s administrative judge, Trump attorney Alina Habba argued that the lawsuit should instead be transferred to the court’s commerce division, which is set up to handle complex corporate disputes.
James’ office, which filed the lawsuit last week, aims to bring the case to court by the end of next year – ahead of the first primary in the 2024 presidential election. A response said the case should remain with Engoron, in part because ” the “familiarity” he developed in dealing with detection and subpoena problems in the underlying investigation.
“Given that this action involves allegations of an ongoing plan and conspiracy to obtain millions of dollars through fraudulent activity, and that the defendants have repeatedly attempted to delay the completion of[James’ investigation]it is imperative that this case will move quickly,” Wallace wrote.
A court spokesman said Engoron had no comment.
James’ lawsuit alleges that Trump and the Trump Organization inflated his net worth by billions of dollars and misled banks and others about the value of valuable assets like golf courses, hotels, and his Mar-a-Lago estate for years. She is demanding $250 million and a permanent business ban for Trump in the state.
Trump’s three eldest children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump, have also been named as defendants, along with two longtime executives at the company. An attorney for Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump on Thursday sent a letter to the administrative judge repeating Habba’s call for the case to be referred to the court’s Commerce Division.
Engoron, a Democrat, has been involved in Trump-related cases since 2020, when he was assigned to intervene in disputes between Trump’s attorneys and James’ office over evidence requirements and the direction of their investigation.
Trump, a Republican who has laid the groundwork for a possible comeback campaign for the presidency, claimed he was biased after several Engoron rulings fell against him, saying in a statement, “Because of the hatred of me, I can.” did not get a fair hearing from judges and the judiciary in New York. It is not possible.”
In February, Engoron forced a subpoena for Trump and two of his children, Ivanka and Donald Jr., to testify under oath. They testified in August after a state appeals court rejected attempts to overturn the sentence. Trump has invoked his Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination more than 400 times.
In April Engoron held the former president in contempt of court and fined him for being slow to respond to a subpoena asking him to turn over certain documents. Engoron reversed the contempt finding in June after Trump paid the $110,000 fine and complied with other demands.
Engoron has also issued orders directing the Trump Organization and its expert witness, Cushman & Wakefield, to turn over evidence and requiring another son, Eric Trump, to testify when testified.
Trump has called James’ lawsuit “another witch hunt,” noting that his company’s financial disclosures have warned banks not to trust the information provided.
Habba said the allegations in the lawsuit were “baseless”.
Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak
