Judge Engoron Faces Questions After Lawyer Says He Advised on Trump Case
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
N ew York Judge Arthur Engoron , who presided over Donald Trump 's business fraud case, is facing questions after an attorney claimed that he provided unsolicited advice to the judge before a ruling was issued in the former president's suit.
The attorney, Adam Leitman Bailey, is a real estate lawyer based in Manhattan who had his law license revoked for four months in 2019 for inappropriate behavior. WNBC reported Wednesday that Bailey alleged during a previous interview with the network that he spoke to Engoron three weeks before the judge's ruling in Trump's fraud case, where the former president was found liable for misleading lenders and insurers to obtain better financial terms.
Trump was ordered by Engoron to pay $454 million in damages. He has continued to deny the accusations against him.
Bailey told WNBC during an interview on February 16, the day that Engoron's decision was issued, that he "had the ability to speak to [Engoron] three weeks ago," adding, "I saw him in the corner...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."
Sources familiar with the matter told WNBC that an investigation has been launched by New York's judicial oversight body into the alleged interaction between Engoron and Bailey. Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian told Newsweek on Thursday that the "Commission on Judicial Conduct is constrained by a strict confidentiality statute and has no comment on this matter."
"These serious allegations of a blatant breach of the judicial conduct code, if true, call into question the integrity of the entire case and further undermine public confidence in a New York legal system already the subject of international ridicule," Christopher Kise, Trump's attorney, told Newsweek via email.
"Moreover, if true, there is simply no reason to believe this was an isolated incident," Kise added. "Any judge willing to engage in this sort of exchange and willing to simply disregard clear rules of conduct would likely have done so repeatedly over the long course of the case."
A court spokesperson told WNBC that Engoron denied any accusations of improper conversations with Bailey and said that his ruling in Trump was "wholly uninfluenced."
"No ex parte conversation concerning this matter occurred between Justice Engoron and Mr. Bailey or any other person," said Al Baker, a spokesperson for the New York State's Office of Court Administration. "The decision Justice Engoron issued February 16 was his alone, was deeply considered, and was wholly uninfluenced by this individual."
Newsweek reached out to Engoron by email, as well as the Public Information Office for the New York State Court System, for additional comment.
Bailey has occasionally weighed in on Trump's civil trial but never had direct involvement in the case. He also told WNBC in a second on-camera interview that he did not believe Engoron did anything wrong by speaking with him.
"We didn't even mention the word Donald Trump," Bailey told the network. However, when asked by WNBC if he thought Engoron thought the alleged conversation was about the former president's case, Bailey responded, "Well, obviously we weren't talking about the Mets."
Newsweek also reached out to Bailey via email for additional comment.
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Question: Should judges be held accountable for "wrongdoing?"
As Jack Smith might say: let's take care of it quickly.
Not going to happen. Democrats are never held accountable. There will be a very long investigation that will lead no where and result in nothing.
Democrats know their lemmings and sycophants in the media have the attention spans of gold fish. A prolonged investigation with no leaks, and daily doses of Trump, is just the thing to kill their non existent memories.
Just ask Weiss, the top expert in obstructing and slow walking an investigation.
Yes they should. If nothing else karma will pay a visit to this douchebag.
Believe it …..
What with having a Judge Cannon on a Trump case I wouldn't want to say anything about Judge Engoron or Democrats.
Upset that a judge is actually forcing the prosecution to follow the damn law for a change?
Sorry, they can't all be TDS driven Democrat judges from Democrat control bastions of stupidity.
Call us when Democrats start following the laws and Constitution when it comes to "fair and impartial" trials.
Justice delayed is justice denied. Judge Cannon must have taken lessons in the many ways to do it.
The integrity of the case was in question from the start. This SHOULD trigger further investigation. But, given this judge is connected to the Democrats, we all know there won't be an investigation so hopefully the appeals court will do the right thing.
Don't worry, even if the Appeals court doesn't, the Supreme Trumpian Court of the United States will save his ass.
You were an Attorney. You see no conflict of interest here?
Really?
Yes, I practised law in Toronto for 37 years and I always had the deepest respect for the Judiciary in Canada where I never saw a political bias. My disrespect for the American Judiciary started when I was around 18 years old, accompanying a friend driving to Florida, and on the way, but somewhere in the south, when we crossed a railroad track that was bumpy at about 5 mph we were stopped by a cop for SPEEDING over it, taken to a judge who was also a barber and fined (can't remember how much) for speeding. I know there have been great American justices, but with some of the things I'm reading these days I just shake my head.
Canadian Mounties and border agents were no treat for Americans either. I had more bad exchanges with them than good. To a point where I stopped going north to hunt, fish or just visit.
LEO’s that are pricks are not limited to just one country.
I can't argue with that, but I was speaking of the Judiciary. Did you have any experiences before a judge or magistrate in Canada?
Nope, I’m squeaky clean in Canada. Despite some border agents best efforts. I hear you though. Judges in the US basically have to get caught screwing their father or mother to get just censured
That's nice, but are you squeaky clean in America? Both countries share information on prospective visitors.
Well, those border brown shirts screwed up many times then because they missed that nickel I did San Quentin with Merle Haggard …….
Pay no attention to the hive minded drone nonsense from certain members
Sources familiar with the matter told WNBC that an investigation has been launched by New York's judicial oversight body into the alleged interaction between Engoron and Bailey.
Be interesting to see if there was a witness.
You guys are clutching at straws in desperate hopes to save your populist messiah and fuel your partisan wet dream conspiracy theories. Good luck with that...
Nah but what is really sad is that Trump is still beating the lefts latest chosen one while being endlessly harangued by their useful idiots and partisans.
News flash ….. “you guys” are still losing. Regardless of all the dirty deeds, done dirt cheap.
I'm not sure who the 'lefts latest chosen one' is but polls between Biden and Trump are still pretty much even. Anyone betting on an outcome today is a fool.
There's a taste of that conspiracy theory bullshit I was talking about. The possibility of another Trump/MAGA loss has to be cheating...It can't be because it's all shit.
Not sure? Get with the DNC and ask them who they chose in their primary. There you go. That said, anyone who can’t see the trouble Biden is in right now, truly is a fool or perhaps just plain dull.
More empirical evidence of the gaslight special some are trying to pass off as real. Sad.
Considering I voted for Niki Haley in the WI Primary (it was a protest vote, I know) I don't get the DNC memos. Where are you looking? Jim Jordan's files or Joe's basement? Which conspiracy theory are you alluding to know?
You don't seem to have provided any evidence, let alone 'empirical evidence" of anything.
What the left needs to understand and accept is that Trump will be their president again in about 8 months. The only thing stopping him now is cheating, changing laws to benefit democrats or come up with some new pandemic.
I think this is a joke, well, maybe not to Trump supporters who will throw anything at the wall to get him off on any technicality, crying, "Don't send our Trump to jail. He knows that he did it. We know he did it, but he is our Lord and Savior! Noooooooo."
This lawyer walks into a coffee shop....
Did what?
Fucked a dog on Friday, among other things.
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Remarkable mental gymnastics ... "if true" means true.
Back to Christopher Kise; I assume he is still bitter about being sanctioned by the N.Y. Supreme Court.