Former acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker strongly criticized New York Judge Arthur Engoron’s recent ruling against former President Donald Trump, deeming it “expected” and fundamentally unjust, particularly in its implications for Trump and the Trump Organization.
In an interview with Newsmax on Saturday, February 17, 2024, Whitaker expressed his initial reaction to the ruling, stating, “My first reaction was expected, and we saw this coming.”
“I think we knew that Judge Engoron was not a fair judge and that he was going to try to hammer the Trump Organization and Donald Trump.”
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Judge Engoron’s ruling, delivered on Friday, imposed a staggering penalty of $364 million against Trump, alleging his involvement in a yearslong scheme to deceive banks and inflate his wealth through misleading financial statements.
Whitaker vehemently disputed the ruling’s validity, asserting, “I read the ruling. I think it’s very weak on the facts and especially weak on the law. You know you can’t have a fraud by legal definition without having a victim.”
Expressing confidence in Trump’s appeal, Whitaker stated, “I think he is ultimately going to win this case because he was denied fundamental due process and fundamental fairness, and this case will be reversed. I have no doubt.”
The former AG also raised concerns about the broader implications of the ruling, suggesting that it could lead to economic repercussions for New York.
He warned, “I think you’re going to see a lot of businesses leaving New York.., New York’s gonna decline… You know, it used to be the Empire State. I don’t think that’s any indication anymore.”
Moreover, Whitaker pointed to potential political bias in the judiciary, stating, “This is where, you know, the venue and the jurisdiction and ultimately the political beliefs of the jurisdiction is what gets you.”
However, despite the challenges, Whitaker remained optimistic that justice would ultimately prevail.
He concluded, “But, you know, this is where you got to believe that ultimately a judge of fairness will get to this case, or judges on appeal, and they’ll determine that this was just a ridiculous outcome when there were no victims and actually no fraud was committed.”
