Trump’s fraud trial stalled while he sues the presiding judge

Donald Trump has caused a brief pause in his fraud trial by taking the unorthodox step of directly suing Judge Arthur Engoron, the judge assigned to the case. That trial, stemming from fraud allegations in New York against Trump and his family business, was originally scheduled to begin on October 2.

In his lawsuit, the 77-year-old former president claims Judge Engoron ignored a June court directive that could have reduced the charges he faces. The dispute also brings to light the judge’s denial of a three-week delay, a request made by Trump’s lawyer.

An appellate judge, reacting to these events, declared a temporary suspension of the trial, and adjourned the case to a panel of five judges. That court’s verdict, expected at the end of September, will determine whether the trial begins as originally planned. If it continues, Judge Engoron has indicated that the trial could be extended close to Christmas.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is undeterred, saying, “We are confident in our case and will be ready for trial.” It claims that Trump, along with his associates, misrepresented his financial worth by possibly exaggerating assets by as much as $3.6 billion. The reason: to ensure favorable loan and insurance conditions.

James is targeting a hefty penalty of $250 million and seeks to disqualify Trump and his sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, from running his family’s business. Trump, for his part, has refuted these accusations, calling the trial a “witch hunt” for political reasons.

Aside from that case, Trump is facing multiple lawsuits in several states. He recently stated in an interview that it is “highly unlikely” that he would pardon himself if re-elected as president, stressing that he has done nothing wrong.

This recent lawsuit against Judge Engoron underscores Trump’s growing strategy of challenging the judges who handle his legal dilemmas. He recently asked another judge overseeing his election tampering case to recuse himself because of perceived bias, and previously tried to remove the judge in his Manhattan criminal trial, both cases pending the outcome.

This article is sourced from and written by AI.

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