A New York appeals judge has temporarily halted a lower judge’s order to cancel some of former President Donald Trump’s business licenses, while also denying Trump’s request to postpone the civil fraud trial related to the matter.
Judge Peter Moulton, who was appointed by former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, took action to pause part of a ruling made on September 26 by Judge Arthur Engoron. Judge Engoron’s ruling ordered the cancellation of certain business certificates associated with Trump, citing allegations of fraud stemming from the inflation of his net worth and assets.
While Judge Moulton granted a temporary halt to the license cancellations, he did not grant Trump’s request to delay the civil fraud trial. As a result, the trial will proceed as scheduled on Tuesday morning, as reported by ABC News.
In response to the rulings, Trump’s legal team argued that Judge Engoron’s decision did not fully grasp the potential ramifications, stating, “This is everything owned or controlled by the defendant. Once you dissolve, you dissolve. It’s chaos. It’s chaos right now,” according to ABC News.
The Trump Organization expressed appreciation for the appeals judge’s decision to halt what they described as an “overzealous attempt” to cancel the organization’s business certificates. Eric Trump, a spokesperson for the organization, released a statement in which he criticized Judge Engoron’s order.
Judge Engoron’s order erroneously sought to adjudicate the rights of non-party business entities that employ nearly 1,000 hard-working New Yorkers, have never been accused of any wrongdoing, and were never given their day in court – in clear violation of their fundamental Constitutional rights and Due Process,” the statement said. “We will continue to vigorously defend our company and our incredible employees from this politically-motivated persecution.”
The legal proceedings surrounding Trump’s business licenses and the fraud allegations continue to garner attention, and the upcoming trial will be closely watched as it unfolds in the coming days.
