A dispute has erupted in the ongoing trial of former President Donald Trump in New York, with allegations that the principal law clerk overseeing the case, Allison Greenfield, has a history of involvement in Democratic politics, raising concerns about ethical guidelines for federal clerks.
The controversy came to light in an Oct. 3 letter addressed to Judge Arthur Engoron, who presides over the trial, from Brock Fredin, the operator of a social media account called Judicial Protest.
Yesterday, Judge Engoron issued a gag order after former President Trump criticized Greenfield in a post on the Truth Social platform. In the post, Trump alleged that Greenfield, whom he referred to as “Schumer’s girlfriend,” was “running this case against me,” and called for the immediate dismissal of the case.
The post included a screenshot from a Judicial Protest post that featured a photo of Greenfield with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, accompanied by the caption, “Why is Judge Engoron’s Principal Law Clerk…palling around with Chuck Schumer?”
While Judge Engoron did not specifically name Trump, he stated that “one of the defendants” had posted a “disparaging, untrue, and personally-identifying post” about a staff member, which was disseminated to “millions of other recipients.” He unequivocally denounced personal attacks on his court staff.
As a result of the gag order, Trump was prohibited from publicly discussing members of the judge’s staff, and the Truth Social post was removed in compliance with the judge’s directives.
In his letter to Judge Engoron, Fredin argued that the removal of the post violated his First Amendment rights. He further called for an investigation into potential ethical violations or misconduct by the judge and Greenfield related to her partisan political speech.
The letter stated, “The Court’s Gag Order is a clear attempt to paper over the apparent ethical violations by Ms. Greenfield and Your Honor and redirect animus and negative headlines at President Trump.”
Fredin provided evidence from Greenfield’s now-private Instagram account, which showed her endorsing local Democrat organizations, petitioning for and canvassing on behalf of New York Democrats, and attending events for various Democratic groups. The letter also revealed that Greenfield had donated to two Democratic candidates during the 2022 election cycle in New York.
Fredin contended that Greenfield’s Instagram account was not personal but served as a platform for her bid as a Democrat to become a Manhattan Civil Court judge in 2022. He expressed concern over Greenfield setting her account to private, suggesting it indicated an attempt to conceal certain posts.
While acknowledging that New York State lacks formal ethical rules for law clerks, the letter cited a federal law clerk manual, which prohibits law clerks from engaging in partisan and nonpartisan political activity, including publicly endorsing or opposing candidates and contributing funds to political organizations.
Fredin also alleged that Greenfield had violated several provisions of the New York Judicial Canons, which prohibit any involvement in political parties.
Finally, Fredin accused Judge Engoron of failing to supervise Greenfield’s activities and attempting to cover up the alleged misconduct.
The letter concluded by requesting an investigation and urging the judge to rescind his order requiring Trump to remove the post.
The controversy surrounding Allison Greenfield’s alleged political activities has added a new layer of complexity to the high-profile trial, raising questions about impartiality and ethical standards in the legal system. The outcome of this dispute remains uncertain as it continues to unfold in the coming days.
