Judge Engoron under investigation over 'very troubling' talk with lawyer about Trump case
The New York judge who ordered Donald Trump to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in a civil fraud case is now under investigation, according to a report.
Justice Arthur Engoron's decisions are under a microscope after a local attorney said he had a conversation with the jurist about issues related to the former president's recent legal matter.
"A high-profile New York real estate lawyer, whose law license was once suspended, said he approached the judge presiding over Donald Trump’s civil fraud case to offer unsolicited advice about a law at issue in the case," the report states.
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"Attorney Adam Leitman Bailey made the claim during an interview with NBC New York, saying he spoke to Judge Arthur Engoron three weeks prior to the judge’s February decision to fine the former president $454 million for falsely inflating the value of his assets," the article continues.
NBC further reported that the "judge, through a court spokesman, denied impropriety and said he was 'wholly uninfluenced' by Mr. Bailey."
"New York’s judicial oversight body has now launched an investigation into the alleged interaction, according to sources familiar with the matter," according to the news report.
The lawyer purportedly raised similar arguments as Trump did.
"Bailey, who said he is no fan of Trump, was not involved in the civil case and is not connected to any of the four separate criminal cases against the former president. He said he knows the judge from having appeared before him as a litigant 'hundreds of times,'" the article from Wednesday says. "Bailey said he 'explained to him' that a fraud statute at issue in the case was not intended to be used to shut down a major company, especially in a case without clear victims. He said such a ruling would hurt New York's economy. Engoron had rejected a similar argument raised by the Trump team in court."
Retired Presiding New York Appellate Justice Alan Scheinkman said he "has questions about Bailey's account."
"Scheinkman, who now teaches legal ethics at Pace University Law School, said the interaction described by Bailey is 'very troubling,'" the article says. "'The fact that this lawyer made these statements — unprompted — during a recorded TV interview should raise serious concerns,' Scheinkman said."