In an audacious Thanksgiving Day move, former President Donald Trump has defied a court-imposed gag order to launch an attack on the judge and law clerk overseeing his New York civil lawsuit.
Trump took to social media to lambast Judge Arthur Engoron and his law clerk Alison Greenfield, accusing them of political bias and corruption.
The former President's outburst comes in the wake of a gag order that was imposed on him last month by Engoron after the second day of his $250 million trial. The order's purpose was to prevent Trump from publicly scrutinizing Engoron's staff and others involved in the case. However, it was stayed last week, pending review by a state appeals court panel.
Trump's attorneys have been vocal in their criticism of the gag order, arguing that it is unconstitutional and not tailored narrowly enough. They have contended that the fines imposed on Trump for violating the gag order were excessive and that Engoron did not follow court rules in issuing them. Trump has been fined a total of $15,000 for two violations of the order.
In his Thanksgiving Day post, Trump went so far as to describe Engoron as a "psycho" and to make claims about Greenfield's personal life.
Lawyers defending the gag order have cited threats made against Greenfield since Trump first claimed she was dating Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The nature of these threats has raised serious concerns about the impact of Trump's public statements on the safety and integrity of the judicial process.
Despite the controversy surrounding the gag order and Trump's defiance of it, the civil lawsuit against the former President continues to move forward. Engoron has already found Trump, his sons, and his business engaged in financial fraud in the case brought by the New York Attorney General. The judge is now deliberating damages through a bench trial.
These findings are significant, as they speak to the heart of the allegations against Trump and his business empire. They also provide a stark contrast to Trump's public portrayal of the judge and his clerk as biased and corrupt.
The charges of financial fraud and the judge's subsequent findings have put Trump and his business operations under a microscope, both legally and in the court of public opinion.
Trump's Thanksgiving Day post and his earlier violations of the gag order have drawn attention to his combative stance towards the lawsuit and the judicial process.
Even while it is under review, his defiance of the gag order has raised questions about the impact of his actions on the case and the larger implications for judicial integrity.
As the case progresses, the focus will likely remain on the clash between Trump's public statements and the court's findings. The former President's allegations against Engoron and Greenfield have created a complex backdrop for the ongoing legal proceedings.
