Judge denies Trump’s request for a mistrial in fraud case

The New York state judge presiding over Donald J. Trump’s civil fraud trial defended his work Friday as he dismissed a mistrial from the former president’s lawyers that accused him of political bias.

The judge, Arthur F. Engoron, a Democrat, has been attacked by Mr. Trump, his lawyer and his allies over his handling of the case, which stems from a lawsuit filed by New York’s attorney general.

Mr. Trump this week called for a mistrial, with his lawyers writing that “the evidence of apparent and actual bias is palpable and overwhelming.”

Judge Engoron’s rejection of the offer also served as an explanation for his work and that of his law clerk, Allison Greenfield, also a Democrat, who sits on his bench during the trial and whom he often consults during the proceedings.

Mr. Trump and his lawyers have taken issue with Ms. Greenfield’s fame and frequent conversations with the judge, arguing that it appears she is “joining the judge.” In calling for a mistrial, they expressed concern that she too was biased.

“My statements are mine and mine alone,” Judge Engoron wrote in his order Friday. “There is absolutely no ‘co-judging’. The fact that I may consult the case file, the law and the facts before I make a ruling is entirely up to me.”

A lawyer for Mr. Trump, who is expected to appeal Friday’s decision once the trial concludes, declined to comment. The proceedings, which began last month and are expected to continue into December, stem from a lawsuit filed against Mr. Trump by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is also a Democrat.

The attorney general’s office had asked to respond to Trump’s arguments, saying countering them would be helpful to the state’s case if the former president were to appeal. But Judge Engoron didn’t give it a chance, calling the arguments for a mistrial “completely baseless” and writing that any answer would be “meaningless.”

Judge Engoron’s order came just a day after an appeals court judge halted Judge Engoron’s silence orders, which had barred the former president and his lawyers from attacking court staff, in an apparent rebuke of the judge.

Mr. Trump attacked Ms. Greenfield on social media on the first day of the trial, reposting a photo of her with Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, calling her “Schumer’s girlfriend” and saying she “brought this case against me . ”

Judge Engoron justified the silence order — and a similar order against Trump’s lawyers — by saying the safety of his staff is his top priority and noting that his office has received “hundreds of threatening phone calls, voicemails, emails, letters and messages’ received. packages.”

The appeals court judge, David Friedman, suggested before suspending the gag orders that he also found Ms. Greenfield’s presence on the bench unusual and that he did not think Mr. Trump had said anything that directly threatened her.

Among the issues Mr. Trump’s lawyers raised in their call for a mistrial were Ms. Greenfield’s donations to Democratic groups, which they cited as among the most troubling evidence of bias.

Judge Engoron addressed this issue directly in his order, writing that Ms. Greenfield had run for elected judicial office during the time of the donations, making them permissible under Judiciary guidelines.

In any case, he wrote, arguments over Ms. Greenfield’s donations were a “diversion.”

“My lead attorney makes no rulings or orders,” he wrote. “I do.”