Judge Engoron says Trump attacking his impartiality "is getting old" ahead of fraud trial ruling

New York, New York - Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing Donald Trump's civil fraud trial, slammed the former president's attorneys for refusing to comply with a simple request.

Judge Engoron (l.) sent a scathing letter to the New York civil trial attorneys of Donald Trump (r.) after they refused to cooperate with a recent request.
Judge Engoron (l.) sent a scathing letter to the New York civil trial attorneys of Donald Trump (r.) after they refused to cooperate with a recent request.  © Collage: JEENAH MOON / POOL / AFP & Nicholas Kamm / AFP

On Thursday, Judge Engoron sent a letter to Trump's attorneys after they refused to cooperate with his request for more information on Allen Weisselberg, a former Trump Organization chief financial officer who may have lied during his testimony.

"When I sent my straightforward, narrow request for information about possible perjury by Allen Weisselberg in the subject case, I was not seeking to initiate a wide-ranging debate with counsel," Engoron wrote.

The judge requested that the attorneys give him "anything" they could on Weisselberg, arguing that he cannot "ignore anything in a case of this magnitude."

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Trump's attorneys refused, urging the judge "to render your decision based solely on the evidence now before you" instead of basing it on "media speculation."

"You and your co-counsel have been questioning my impartiality since the early days of this case, presumably because I sometimes rule against your clients," Engoron clapped back. "That whole approach is getting old."

Judge Engoron soon expected to deliver a ruling on the New York fraud case against Donald Trump

The former president and his Trump Organization are being sued by New York Attorney General Letitia James for $370 million in damages after being accused of allegedly inflating his worth for financial gain.

James has also requested that Trump be banned for life from doing real estate business in the state of New York in the future.

Engoron's letter comes as he is soon expected to deliver his judgment following the trial's conclusion. Though he had originally planned to issue a ruling at the end of January, a spokesperson for the court previously said the ruling would be delayed until "early to mid-February."

Trump, who continues to maintain his innocence in the case, has vowed to appeal a guilty ruling from Judge Engoron.

Cover photo: Collage: JEENAH MOON / POOL / AFP & Nicholas Kamm / AFP

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