New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron denied Donald Trump’s attempt to force him off the case, saying a random encounter with a non-involved lawyer did not constitute an improper communication about the case, CNN reports.
The motion was brought after a local New York outlet reported a real estate lawyer, Adam Bailey, said he had discussed Trump’s case with Engoron in a courthouse hallway. “I saw him in the corner [at the courthouse] and I told my client, ‘I need to go.’ And I walked over and we started talking … I wanted him to know what I think and why…I really want him to get it right,” Bailey recounted. It’s unclear if Bailey ever had contact with Trump or had done business with the Trump Organization.
Apparently unfamiliar with New Yorkers’ habit of making their opinions known, Trump’s lawyers claimed this ranting eviction lawyer may have influenced the $454 million judgment against their client. Saying that he was “accosted” by Bailey during the “90-second incident,” Engoron called the accusation a “nothingburger.” In his decision, Engoron noted that he had overseen more than 2,600 motions during the 3-1/2 year case. I am supremely confident in my ability to continue to serve, as I always have, impartially,” he stated.