Elise Stefanik files complaint against judge in New York civil case against Trump Org for 'inappropriate bias and judicial intemperance'

On Friday, Rep Elise Stefanik filed an official judicial complaint with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct against Judge Arthur Engoron, the judge overseeing the Manhattan civil fraud case brought forth by Attorney General Letitia James against 2024 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump.

"I write today to express serious concerns about the inappropriate bias and judicial intemperance shown by Judge Arthur F Engoron in New York’s lawsuit against President Donald J Trump and the Trump Organization," Stafanik began.

"This judge’s bizarre behavior has no place in our judicial system, where Judge Engoron is not honoring the defendant’s rights to due process and a fair trial. These serious concerns are exacerbated by the fact that the defendant is the leading candidate for President of the United States, and it appears the judicial system is being politicized to affect the outcome of the campaign.

"Simply put, Judge Engoron has displayed a clear judicial bias against the defendant throughout the case, breaking several rules in the New York Code of Judicial Conduct," she added.

Stefanik wrote that Engoron had told a Trump attorney last year that the former president is "just a bad guy" who James "should go after as the chief law enforcement officer of the state."

"After the defendant won an appellate ruling against Judge Engoron on the appropriate statute of limitations in this case, the judge simply ignored the ruling," Stefanik wrote. "Judge Engoron entered summary judgment against the defendant before the trial even began, without witnesses, other evidence, and cross-examination."

Stefanik noted that loans were paid back in full by the defendants, and that "these banks and insurance companies, supposedly defrauded, continue to do business with the defendant."

"Now, the judge is holding a trial—with no jury—to determine how much of Tish James’ requested $250 million in damages—with no victims—he will extract from the defendant. How does this not violate the defendant’s Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial?"

Engoron has reportedly said in the courtroom regarding Trump that "we are not here to listen to what you have to say," and told the counsel "I am not here to hear what he has to say, now sit down," Stefanik wrote.

She noted that Engoron and his staff members have made donations to Democrats, as recently as 2018, despite Section 100.5 of New York’s rules regarding the judiciary branch, stating that judges "shall refrain" from "making a contribution to a political organization."

The section also states that "a judge shall prohibit members of the judge’s staff" from contributing more than $500 "in the aggregate during any calendar year to all political campaigns for political office," with Engoron’s principal law clerk Allison Greenfield donating in excess of this amount in 2022 and 2023 to political campaigns, Stefanik noted.

Greenfield donated $3,335 to Democrat political campaigns in causes in 2022, and has donated more than $1,000 in 2023 to such campaigns, she wrote.

"When President Trump’s attorneys notified Judge Engoron, Judge Engoron responded by issuing an illegal gag order against President Trump’s legal team," Stefanik wrote, adding that the judge "has gone on to gag and fine President Trump for merely criticizing Judge Engoron’s law clerk, which is core political speech protected by the First Amendment."

Stefanik later added, "To gag a defendant is un-American. It’s an illegal prior restraint on the defendant’s First Amendment rights, which even the progressive ACLU felt compelled to acknowledge" after another gag order was placed on Trump in the January 6 conspiracy case.

Stefanik noted the discrepancies between what Engoron cited as the value of Mar-a-Lago, being worth between $18 million and $27.6 million, and what the Trump Organization stated the property’s value is worth, between $426 and $612 million.

"Any Zillow.com search shows that nearly 20 acres of prime real estate in Palm Beach, touching both the Atlantic Ocean and the intracoastal waterway, is worth exponentially more than $18 and $27.6 million."

Stefanik later wrote, "Judge Engoron’s bizarre and biased behavior is making New York’s judicial system a laughingstock."

"This case is so much bigger than President Donald J Trump," Stefanik concluded. "If Judge Engoron can railroad a billionaire New York businessman, a former President of the United States, and the leading presidential candidates, just imagine what he could do to all New Yorkers."

"Judge Engoron’s lawlessness sends an ominous and illegal warning to New York Business owners: If New York judges don’t like your politics, they will destroy your business, the livelihood of your employees, and you personally. The Commission cannot let this continue."