(Headline USA) Rather than recuse himself over a serious conflict of interests, corrupt New York Judge Arthur Engoron opted to silence former President Donald Trump for publicly exposing the ties between his principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the most powerful Democrat in Congress.
Well lookie lookie…
In a new post from President Trump, it’s REVEALED Schumer’s girlfriend, Allison R. Greenfield, is reportedly Judge Engoron’s Principal Law ClerkTHEIR ALL IN IT TOGETHERGet Trump no matter what; lie, cheat, moral ambiguity, infringe on the law‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/EwSeCedNer
— Peach (@Gapeach_3102) October 3, 2023
Engoron, the judge overseeing Trump’s civil business fraud trial, sternly imposed a limited gag order, which applies to all parties in the case and pertains to verbal attacks on court staff.
Trump said in the now-deleted post on his Truth Social account that it was “disgraceful” that Greenfield was working with the judge in the courtroom.
He also commented on the clerk’s role with the judge on Monday, saying that she “should not be allowed to be in his ear on every single question” and “hates Trump.”
Without naming Trump, Engoron said that a defendant in the case “posted to a social media account a disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff.”
He added that “personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, not appropriate, and I will not tolerate them.”
Trump had already deleted the post. Engoron said he ordered it gone.
The gag order came after Trump and lawyers for both sides repeatedly went into court behind closed doors during Tuesday’s lunch break. They had another private discussion after testimony ended, with journalists and others shooed again from the courtroom.
The former president was voluntarily attending the trial for a second day—and planning on a third.
Engoron also set the record straight about a comment that the ex-president had touted as an important victory following a separate ruling from an appellate court.
Engoron had suggested on Monday that testimony about Trump’s 2011 financial statement might be beyond the legal time limit applicable to James’ lawsuit. It alleges that Trump and his business chronically lied about his wealth on financial statements given to banks, insurers and others. Trump denies any wrongdoing.
The relevant statute of limitations rules out claims related to activities before a date in 2014, and Trump’s legal team has argued that the time limit cuts off most of the case.
Engoron ruled last week that all the claims were allowable under the statute of limitations. He said Tuesday that the trial isn’t “an opportunity to relitigate what I have already decided” and that at the trial’s early stage, he’s inclined to give both sides considerable leeway to connect older evidence to claims in the lawsuit.
Trump emerged saying that he’d be back Wednesday.
Earlier, he reiterated key points of his defense, including that the financial statements bore disclaimers saying that they weren’t audited and that others “might reach different conclusions” about his financial position if they had more information.
“This case is a scam. It can’t be fraud when you’ve told institutions to do their own work,” Trump said Tuesday.
Trump plans to testify later in the trial, but he doesn’t have to attend it now. While grumbling that he’d rather be on the campaign trail, the Republican former president and 2024 GOP front-runner has used the waiting cameras in a courthouse hallway as a microphone for political messaging.
The trial is expected to last into December.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
