State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron criticized former President Donald Trump’s testimony in a recent gag order hearing related to his civil fraud trial in New York. Engoron’s order, issued sua sponte, expressed strong disbelief in Trump’s sworn statements and highlighted what the judge deemed intentional violations of the court’s limited gag order.
The saga began when Trump, facing a limited gag order banning personal attacks on court staff, allegedly violated this order during a break from the trial. Engoron’s order details Trump’s remark to reporters on October 25, where he referred to a “partisan judge” with a “partisan” person sitting alongside him, clearly targeting Engoron’s principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield.
Engoron’s written order emphasized that Trump’s testimony “rings hollow and untrue.” The judge argued that Trump’s use of vague language, attempting to create ambiguity, did not excuse his intentional violation of the gag order. Engoron pointed out that Trump’s deliberate omission of Greenfield’s name in his hallway attack was an unsuccessful attempt to circumvent the gag order and that his language mirrored previous public statements made on October 2, indicating a clear intention to target Greenfield.
Despite the strong language used by Engoron, the judge stopped short of explicitly accusing Trump of perjury. However, he found Trump’s actions to be a clear violation of the gag order. As a result, Trump was fined $10,000, a decision that was upheld by Engoron in court after Trump’s lawyers protested the fine.
This latest development adds to the tension between Trump and the New York legal system, where he has been under scrutiny for his financial practices. The case, overseen by Engoron, stems from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into Trump’s alleged billion-dollar exaggerations in net-worth statements, which were purportedly used to secure favorable deals on loans and insurance.
Trump’s legal battles in New York have intensified in recent years, with judges like Engoron clamping down on what they perceive as attempts to evade legal consequences. As the former president faces multiple civil and criminal cases, his interactions with the justice system continue to draw significant attention and scrutiny.
