NEW YORK — House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik has filed a second ethics complaint against New York Judge Arthur Engoron after he rejected former President Donald Trump’s bid for a mistrial in New York Attorney General Letitia James’s fraud case against him.
Engoron’s decision to deny Trump’s request for a mistrial came after an appeals judge lifted the gag order Engoron had issued against Trump and his attorneys. The gag order aimed to prevent them from publicly criticizing the judge and his court staff. Trump has repeatedly accused Engoron and his senior clerk, Allison Greenfield, of harboring a political bias against him.
Stefanik had initially filed an ethics complaint against Engoron over his conduct in the case and updated her criticisms in light of the recent court developments. She stated, “Today, I’m supplementing my ethics complaint against Judge Engoron with examples of even more of his egregious misconduct after he just wrongly dismissed President Trump’s motion for a mistrial.”
Earlier in the week, Stefanik celebrated the appeals court’s decision to strike down Engoron’s gag order as a “victory.” She emphasized the significance of this ruling, saying, “If Democrats can do this to a billionaire, former President, and leading presidential candidate, just imagine what they can do to the rest of us.”
Stefanik expressed her determination to continue fighting for all New Yorkers, stating, “That’s why I filed my ethics complaint against Judge Engoron.”
The case against Trump being pursued by the New York Attorney General’s office alleges fraud. As the legal proceedings continue, the tensions between Trump and Engoron are likely to persist. The outcome of the ethics complaints filed by Stefanik remains to be seen.