WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - APRIL 04: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event at Mar-a-Lago April 4, 2023 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Earlier in the day, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts stemming from hush money payments in 2016 to two women, becoming the first former U.S. president in history to be charged with a criminal offense. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
A motion by former President Donald Trump‘s legal team for a mistrial in his civil fraud trial was rejected by New York Judge Arthur Engoron as he dismissed their arguments as “nonsensical” and lacking substance.
Earlier, Trump’s lawyers had claimed that the judge’s clerk’s political donations and Engoron’s connection to his high school alumni newsletter, where references to Trump’s case were included, demonstrated bias against their client of a partisan nature.
Engoron refuted the allegations, stating that the newsletter regularly shares articles featuring graduates, including himself, through links. He further mentioned that the legal limitations on political donations by clerks do not pertain to his clerk. He added that the clerk is concurrently campaigning for an elected judicial role.
Engoron also rejected the argument that his clerk had any influence over him.
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Trump’s lawyers have been attempting for a while to portray Engoron and his clerk as having a bias against the former president. Engoron even imposed a gag order on Trump’s lawyers because they made several “inappropriate remarks” about his staff, mentioning that the court has received numerous threats since the trial started.
The gag order was put on hold as a New York appellate judge expressed apprehension regarding the infringement of “constitutional and statutory rights.”
As anticipated, Trump swiftly seized the chance and openly condemned Engoron’s clerk once again, accusing her of being politically biased and losing control, while labeling the gag order as shameful.
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