Former President Donald Trump and his legal team are now targeting the judge overseeing the civil case that New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) has brought against him.
Trump, according to the Daily Beast, has actually brought a lawsuit against the judge - Justice Arthur F. Engoron.
Trump filed the lawsuit on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.
The lawsuit comes just before the Oct. 2, 2023, trial date for James's case against Trump. James claims that Trump and his associates lied about his assets and his net worth, and, accordingly, she is seeking a $250 million fine and a court order preventing Trump and his sons - Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump - from being able to run the Trump Organization. Trump has maintained his innocence.
Trump has filed the lawsuit with New York's First Department appellate court. The lawsuit names both Engoron and James as defendants.
The Daily Beast reports:
Thursday’s court filing claims Engoron and James are both acting to defy appellate orders . . . Trump’s legal team says Engoron is overstepping his authority, and they want an appellate judge to put him in his place.
The lawsuit has not been made public, and reports do not clearly articulate Trump's arguments, here.
Instead, reports indicate that Trump, in the lawsuit, claims that Engoron is not adhering to an earlier decision that was made by an appeals court - a decision that should limit the scope of the case that James has brought against him.
Additionally, Trump is reported as arguing that Engoron's refusal to grant his request for a delay in the trial is "completely without merit."
Depending on how things go, Trump's lawsuit against Engoron could have a serious impact on James's case - it could even derail it.
The appellate court, at the moment, has placed a temporary hold on James's case against Trump. As mentioned earlier, the case was scheduled to begin on Oct. 2, 2023. But, now, it appears that the start of the trial could be delayed - although there is still a possibility that it will start on time.
The purpose of the delay is to give the entire appellate court a chance to consider Trump's lawsuit against Engoron and James. The appellate court has indicated that it expects to issue its decision on the matter by the week of Sept. 25.
Neither Trump nor Engoron has issued a statement on the matter.
James, on the other hand, said, "We are confident in our case and will be ready for trial."
