While the presiding judge got raked over the coals for his “disgraceful” stunt, former President Donald Trump self-reported a victory on day one of his civil fraud trial.
“The last five minutes was outstanding…”
(Video: Fox News)
The $250 million civil case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James ran as a media circus both within and outside the Manhattan courthouse where Trump had initially raged against the “rogue” Judge Arthur Engoron presiding. His earlier fury had appeared to temper some by the afternoon as the president argued before the media that “80% of the case is over” regarding claims of fraud brought against him and the Trump Organization.
“That last five minutes was outstanding because the judge essentially conceded that the statute of limitations, that we won at the court of appeals, is in effect,” contended the president. “Therefore about 80% of the case is over.”
Testimony from Donald Bender, who once worked as an accountant for Trump’s former accounting firm Mazars, had been heavily focused on documents from 2011 that a New York appellate court had ruled were beyond the statute of limitations and that only evidence from 2014 and beyond was admissible.
Engoron spoke to that as he reacted to Bender’s testimony and said, “I trust that you can relate the 2011 documents to something that happened later. Or this has all been a waste of time.”
Trump further reacted to this on Truth Social in the middle of the night and wrote, “People are starting to see what a great company I built through the trial started by the Racist Attorney General of New York State, Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James. It was all supposed to be private, but in many ways it is exposing great success. Incredible assets, lots of cash, and it only gets better. It is also stating, loud and clear, ‘don’t move your company to New York, and if you are already here, move out fast. Too much work and ‘heartache’ dealing with the Radical Left Democrats, Marxists, and Fascists!’ Good day at trial today as the judge will be honoring the Appellate Court’s unanimous decision on the Statute of Limitations! This reduces the case by approximately 80%. See you in Court on Tuesday morning!”
Bender is expected to return for testimony on Tuesday, but the president’s attitude was not as overly optimistic throughout the day as he appeared at close Monday.
Earlier, during a break, Trump had railed, “This is a judge that should be disbarred. This is a judge that should be out of office. This is a judge that some people say could be charged criminally for what he’s doing. He’s interfering with an election, and it’s a disgrace.”
Considerable hubbub had surrounded Engoron permitting cameras into the courtroom briefly before opening statements, to which he had taken the opportunity to “preen” for corporate media.
George Washington University Law professor Jonathan Turley had remarked at the spectacle, “People looking at this live picture right now will be either filled with rage or they will be thrilled, and that’s the problem…They’re all insisting on these trials occurring before the election. Many people find it troubling.”
Trump adviser Stephen Miller had stated pointedly, “Democracy disappearing right before our eyes…” in response to State Freedom Caucus Network Comms Director Greg Price who said on X, “Just smiling and laughing as they turn our country into a third world banana republic.”
Likewise, Article III Project founder Mike Davis slammed Engoron as a “partisan Democrat clown,” and Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde (R) said, “The Democrat Party’s kangaroo court is in session.”
Democracy disappearing right before our eyes…
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) October 2, 2023
This New York City judge is a partisan Democrat clown.
Disgraceful. https://t.co/yTEmOjlq6p
— Mike Davis (@mrddmia) October 2, 2023
Judge Arthur Engoron grinned for TV cameras. This POS should be disbarred! ⬇️
He’s presiding on Trump’s civil fraud trail brought on by AG Letitia James for $250 millions. pic.twitter.com/OZsD8sPyrk
— Judy ⛳️ (@judytgolf) October 2, 2023
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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