Former president Donald Trump has reportedly filed a request for a mistrial in a civil fraud lawsuit in New York state, pegged at $250 million. According to Bloomberg Law, Trump’s legal team alleges that the judge and his law clerk have exhibited rampant political bias, thus tainting the proceedings of the case.
This request is the most recent development in what has become a fraught relationship between Trump’s defense and Manhattan’s Justice Arthur Engoron, who has previously issued a gag order against the former president. This order prohibited Trump from publicly addressing his law clerk. It should be noted that Trump has been penalized a total of $15,000 for two violations of this order.
The lawsuit in question was initially brought forward last year by New York Attorney General Letitia James. James alleged that Trump had significantly inflated the valuation of his assets, an action which resulted in economic gains at the expense of taxpayers, insurers, and business partners.
The vexed relationship between Trump’s legal team and the presiding judge underscores an increasingly partisan atmosphere in political-legal intersections. With the upcoming decision on the mistrial request, the eyes of legal professionals around the globe will undoubtedly focus on this legal proceeding for its potential impacts on future high-profile cases.