On Thursday morning, police in Long Island were called to address a bomb threat at the residence of Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the civil fraud case involving former President Donald Trump. This incident occurred just hours before the scheduled closing arguments in the trial, which were expected to proceed as planned.
The Nassau County bomb squad was dispatched to Judge Engoron’s home to conduct an investigation. It was not immediately clear if Judge Engoron was present at his home during this time.
The situation escalated on Wednesday due to a heated email exchange between Judge Engoron and Trump’s attorney, Chris Kise, regarding Trump’s request to speak during the closing arguments. Judge Engoron ultimately denied this request.
The bomb threat caused a delay in the security processing of reporters and lawyers at the courthouse where the closing arguments were being held. Outside the courthouse, protesters were seen chanting behind a banner reading “No Dictators in the USA,” briefly disrupting traffic before being moved by law enforcement.
Judge Engoron is presiding over a bench trial in a $370 million lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James against Trump, the Trump Organization, and top executives. The lawsuit, filed after a lengthy investigation, accuses them of fraudulent business practices. As there is no jury, Judge Engoron will issue the ruling and any penalties.
Both Judge Engoron and Attorney General James have faced attacks from Trump and his allies. Engoron had issued a partial gag order on Trump, which was later expanded to include Trump’s lawyers, due to disparaging remarks made by Trump about Engoron’s law clerk. Trump’s appeal against the gag order was denied by a state appeals court, citing the necessity of the order following threats directed at the clerk.
In her lawsuit, James accuses Trump of fraudulently overvaluing his assets and properties in financial documents for over a decade. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming his properties are worth more than stated and alleging that the lawsuit is an attempt to interfere with his 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump has voiced his frustration over the trial, stating it interferes with his political campaign and calling it “election interference.”
In addition to this lawsuit, Trump faces local charges in New York related to alleged hush money payments to a porn star, federal charges concerning top-secret government documents, and his purported role in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. As the first former president to face a federal indictment, Trump has dismissed all these cases as politically motivated, aimed at undermining his 2024 presidential campaign.
The Nassau County bomb squad was dispatched to Judge Engoron’s home to conduct an investigation. It was not immediately clear if Judge Engoron was present at his home during this time.
The situation escalated on Wednesday due to a heated email exchange between Judge Engoron and Trump’s attorney, Chris Kise, regarding Trump’s request to speak during the closing arguments. Judge Engoron ultimately denied this request.
The bomb threat caused a delay in the security processing of reporters and lawyers at the courthouse where the closing arguments were being held. Outside the courthouse, protesters were seen chanting behind a banner reading “No Dictators in the USA,” briefly disrupting traffic before being moved by law enforcement.
Judge Engoron is presiding over a bench trial in a $370 million lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James against Trump, the Trump Organization, and top executives. The lawsuit, filed after a lengthy investigation, accuses them of fraudulent business practices. As there is no jury, Judge Engoron will issue the ruling and any penalties.
Both Judge Engoron and Attorney General James have faced attacks from Trump and his allies. Engoron had issued a partial gag order on Trump, which was later expanded to include Trump’s lawyers, due to disparaging remarks made by Trump about Engoron’s law clerk. Trump’s appeal against the gag order was denied by a state appeals court, citing the necessity of the order following threats directed at the clerk.
In her lawsuit, James accuses Trump of fraudulently overvaluing his assets and properties in financial documents for over a decade. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming his properties are worth more than stated and alleging that the lawsuit is an attempt to interfere with his 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump has voiced his frustration over the trial, stating it interferes with his political campaign and calling it “election interference.”
In addition to this lawsuit, Trump faces local charges in New York related to alleged hush money payments to a porn star, federal charges concerning top-secret government documents, and his purported role in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. As the first former president to face a federal indictment, Trump has dismissed all these cases as politically motivated, aimed at undermining his 2024 presidential campaign.