A New York judge reconsidered — but then stood by — his decision to slap former President Donald Trump with a $10,000 fine over remarks the jurist interpreted as a swipe at his court clerk.
Judge Arthur Engoron said it was “clear” Mr. Trump was referring to his clerk when the ex-president complained Wednesday about a “very partisan” person next to the judge.
The judge had ordered Mr. Trump not to attack court personnel during the trial, which stems from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit claiming Mr. Trump and his business manipulated financial statements to gain favorable terms on insurance and loans.
Trump lawyer Christopher Kise had pleaded with the judge Thursday to reconsider the fine. He said Mr. Trump was referring to Michael Cohen, his personal lawyer-turned-accuser who testified earlier in the week, and not the clerk.
“To me, the ‘he’ in that sentence is referring to the person in the immediately preceding sentence,” Mr. Kise said.
Mr. Trump’s claim that he was talking about Mr. Cohen was “not credible,” the judge had decided, noting that he sat closer to the clerk than to the witness.
Judge Engoron took a second look at the entirety of Mr. Trump’s remarks on Thursday but refused to change the penalty after his review.
The fine is a drop in the bucket for Mr. Trump, a wealthy real estate mogul, though the episode underscored the difficulty of holding legal proceedings against the outspoken Republican who is leading the 2024 primary polls for president.
Mr. Trump frequently rails against special counsel Jack Smith and other persons prosecuting him in a series of criminal cases, resulting in a back-and-forth over gag orders and whether it is possible to keep a former president quiet, or if First Amendment rights should prevail.
In the civil case, Mr. Trump frequently uses the New York courthouse hallways and his Truth Social account to lambast Ms. James and her team.
On Thursday, he said Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul or other state officials should step in, reprising his complaints that Judge Engoron is biased against him because he ruled against him before the trial began.
Judge Engoron, in his early ruling, said Mr. Trump was operating in a “fantasy world” and was liable for misrepresenting the value of some of his properties, handing Ms. James an early victory on one of her claims.
The trial also focuses on other claims and potential damages that Mr. Trump might owe.
“This is Judicial Misconduct, coupled with Prosecutorial Misconduct, and somebody from the State of New York must step in and stop this Complete & Total Miscarriage of Justice!” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Mrs. Hochul wasn’t swayed, writing, “Sad!” on the X platform Thursday with a link to an article about Mr. Trump’s plea.
• This story is based in part on wire reports.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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