Former President Donald Trump has credited a New York judge with making a “very fair” statement at the end of the first day of his fraud trial – just hours after he said the judge should be charged as a criminal and disbarred.
Trump made the stunning reversal after the judge, responding to the testimony of the longtime accountant who worked for the Trump Organization, said the witness’ appearance may have been a “waste of time.”
“The judge’s final statement was very honest,” Trump said, after previously criticizing Judge Arthur Engoron as a Democratic “agent.”
“The way I interpret that… the statute of limitations is very real in this country and if you did that, 80 percent of this case would be over,” Trump said. He characterized the statement as a welcome and unexpected development.
“But this was a big, big — I say surprise — but it was a great honor for the court that the judge was willing to overrule himself in this way and I respect that very much,” Trump said.
Former US President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower after attending the first day of his civil fraud trial. He credited Judge Arthur Engoron for making a ‘very fair’ statement – just hours after saying he should be suspended
Trump’s lawyers agreed with the judge’s statement, and Trump gave him a thumbs-up. But the judge himself did not go so far as to say that the majority of the case was dismissed. He seemed to realize how the appeals court had decided the issue. Trump’s team had filed a lawsuit on September 14, accusing Engoron of ignoring the appeals court decision.
Engoron made the statement in court following the testimony of longtime Mazars accountant Donald Bender. He spoke about his process of accepting appraisals from his client while discussing the appraisals used for the Trump Organization in 2011.
The judge then upheld an appeals court decision – the subject of a litigation battle – that the law governing the statute of limitations for the fraud that Engoron discovered did not apply until 2014.
“I trust you can relate the 2011 documents to something that happened later,” Engoron told prosecutors. “Or this has all been a waste of time.”
It was not immediately clear whether the comment represented a substantial victory or just an inkling of where the judge might go.
Trump took a rosier view, saying that “something that we won on appeal that wasn’t accepted by this court now appears to be accepted by this court.”
He said: “We very much appreciate today’s decision, or at least made today on the statute of limitations,” and then again defended his “very strong business” and the property valuations he said were accepted by banks with lawyers who were even ‘better than my lawyers’. .’
It was a stark reversal from just two hours earlier, when Trump launched an angry attack on the state High Council judge overseeing his case – saying Engoron should be suspended and “criminally charged” amid adverse rulings.
Trump blasted the judge for an earlier summary judgment ruling in the case, which imposed a possible $250 million fine on him, even though his team had requested summary judgment in the case.
“This is a judge who should be disbarred. This is a judge who should no longer be in office,” Trump said.
“This is a judge that some people say could be criminally charged for what he does. He’s interfering in the election, and that’s a shame,” Trump said angrily.
Trump made the extraordinary statement during a lunch break just steps from the courtroom, as reporters and cameras were set up in the New York courthouse.
Trump said Judge Arthur Engoron “could be criminally charged” for his handling of the case
Engoron attended Columbia University, received his law degree from New York University and worked as a trial attorney and legal clerk
He repeated the claim that Justice Department officials were pulling the strings in the Empire State, as he again attacked state AG Letitia James, Special Prosecutor Jack Smith and even a law clerk who he claimed was in Judge’s “ear” Engoron sat.
‘This man is getting away with murder. And his clerk shouldn’t be in his ear for every question,” Trump said.
“You should take a look at her. She hates Trump more than he does,” he suggested.
His attacks come despite warnings in unrelated criminal cases about attacks on court staff.
Smith’s team asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan for a gag order citing many of his past attacks on prosecutors, and even his attacks on the judge himself. She also ruled against a motion from Trump’s team that she should recuse herself.
“Look at Jack Smith. Look at these people. This is called election interference and worse than that, much worse than that,” he said.
In the New York case, where huge fines and permits for parts of his real estate empire are at stake, Trump is balancing the courtroom strategy with an electoral strategy, with his poll numbers rising despite a series of criminal charges.
He called Judge Engoron a “Democratic club politician” and a “Democratic operative.” After the summary judgment ruling on Enogoron, Trump called him ‘disturbed’.
Engoron attended Columbia University, received his law degree from New York University and worked as a trial attorney and legal clerk. In his statements, he mentioned that he took part in a protest against the war in Vietnam and that he drove a taxi, a spokesman said AP profile.
He was elected unopposed to the state Supreme Court.
Trump criticized the judge as he stood steps away from his courtroom
Trump previously called AG Letitia James “racist.” He called her a “disgrace” and said in a pre-trial tirade: “You should go after this attorney general.”
Trump has attacked special counsel Jack Smith, who has requested a partial gag order in a criminal case against him
Trump also attacked New York AG Letitia James, calling her a “disgrace to our country.” Look at Jack Smith. Look at these people,” he said.
Judge Engoron is prohibited from hitting back at Trump in the press, even though he has decision-making authority in the non-jury trial.
He also exploded over the valuation for Mar-a-Lago that the judge cited in a ruling that Trump had inflated its assets by $2 billion.
Trump cited articles quoting real estate experts shocked by the low valuations. He said at the time that the private club was worth $1.5 billion.
“Anyone who does business in New York State is crazy,” said Trump, who moved his official residence to Florida.
Trump used the ratings to make his best case to the media. “I have a lot of respect for you – not all of you, but a lot of you,” he said.
When asked why he decided to come to court in person, he skipped the trial in which he was found liable for sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll. Trump said: ‘Because I want to see this witch hunt for myself.’
Trump had previously gone after Engoron on his Truth Social platform as a “thug, OUT OF CONTROL, TRUMP-HATING JUDGE.”
A five-judge appeals court last week rejected a request from Trump’s lawyers to delay the trial. Another judge’s order was also lifted, suspending the trial.
In his ruling, Engoron hit close to home by noting that Trump misstated the size of his Trump Tower triplex, listing it at 30,000 square feet instead of 11,000.
“A discrepancy of this order of magnitude, where a real estate developer estimates his own living space over decades, can only be considered fraud,” he wrote.
Trump’s team has argued that an appeals court ruling in June puts some of Trump’s conduct outside the statute of limitations.
The judge decided he could continue the trial.