Trump Files for Mistrial in NY Fraud Case to ‘Salvage What Is Left of the Rule of Law,’ Cites Bias from Judge and Staff

Former President Donald Trump’s legal team filed for a mistrial in the civil fraud trial brought against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday, citing the “bias” shown by Judge Arthur Engoron and his principal law clerk.

“Specifically, the Court’s own conduct, coupled with the Principal Law Clerk, Allison Greenfield’s (‘Principal Law Clerk’) unprecedented role in the trial and extensive, public partisan activities, would cause even a casual observer to question the Court’s partiality,” argued Trump’s lawyers in the motion. “Thus, only the grant of a mistrial can salvage what is left of the rule of law.”

They went on to assert that “the Court has predetermined the outcome of this proceeding and is merely going through the motions before it ultimately doles out punishment.” The motion concluded like this:

On a fundamental level, the way to dispel the appearance of impropriety is not to double down by precluding comment on it or by simply ignoring its manifest existence. At this point, the taint of these proceedings is both obvious and irreversible. Worse even, the Court has abrogated its constitutional responsibility to ensure each Defendant, including President Trump, receives a fair trial free from even the appearance of impropriety and impartiality. Therefore, given the demonstrable partisan bias present on the bench at trial the only way to maintain public confidence in a truly independent and impartial judiciary and the rule of law is to bring these proceedings to an immediate halt,

Trump and his team have long accused Engoron and his staff of bias, eventually prompting the judge to enforce a gag order precluding Trump and his lawyers from attacking Greenfield.

That order charged them with “falsely accusing her of bias against them and of improperly influencing the ongoing bench trial,” and stated that “these arguments have no basis.”