New Judge Assigned to Trump Civil Fraud Case

A New York court has assigned a new judge to preside over the civil fraud case against President-elect Trump brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Judge Arthur Engoron, who previously handled the case, has been replaced by New York County Supreme Court Justice Judith McMahon of Staten Island.

The change comes as the case remains on appeal. After the appeals court issues its decision, the case will be remanded to a lower court. Justice McMahon will take over the case at that point, replacing Engoron.

Engoron's handling of the case has been criticized by Trump allies, who accused him of bias against the president-elect. During the trial, Engoron allowed the value of Trump's Mar-a-Lago property to be listed at $18 million, a valuation disputed by Trump and real estate experts. Engoron also criticized Trump's participation in the trial, stating that he "rarely responded to the questions asked, and he frequently interjected long, irrelevant speeches on issues far beyond the scope of the trial."

Trump and his family have denied any wrongdoing, with Trump arguing that his assets have been undervalued. Trump's legal team has also argued that the case violates the statute of limitations and that there were no victims or complaints about Trump's business from lenders and insurers.

The appeal of the $454 million judgment against Trump is pending before the New York Appeals Court. Judges on the appeals court appeared receptive to the possibility of reversing or reducing the judgment. Trump's attorney, D. John Sauer, argued that the case stretches New York consumer protection laws and that there were no victims or complaints about Trump's business.