Former President Donald Trump claimed that a New York judge is "deranged," while denouncing an "un-American" court ruling that deemed he committed fraud.
Judge Arthur Engoron on Tuesday ruled that Trump, his adult sons, The Trump Organization and several other New York business entities associated with the ex-president were civilly liable for fraud in a decision that partially granted New York Attorney General Letitia James' motion for a summary judgment.
James filed a $250 million lawsuit against Trump last year, accusing the former president of illegally misrepresenting his business assets for financial benefit. Engoron's ruling did not decide all aspects of the case, which is set to go to trial next week, pending a request for a delay from Trump's lawyers.
Trump, the leading candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, claimed that Engoron was "doing the bidding" of James in a furious statement posted to Truth Social on Tuesday.
"The widespread, radical attack against me, my family, and my supporters has now devolved to new, un-American depths, at the hands of a DERANGED New York State Judge, doing the bidding of a completely biased and corrupt 'Prosecutor,' Letitia James," Trump wrote.
"We are rapidly becoming a Communist Country, and my Civil Rights have been taken away from me," he continued. "A Highly Politicized Democrat Judge ... simply rule[d], despite all of the evidence to the contrary, that I committed fraud, which is both ridiculous and untrue."
Newsweek reached out for comment to the office of James via email on Tuesday night.
The former president, who has separately pleaded not guilty to 91 felony criminal charges this year, went on to claim without evidence that Engoron's decision was part of a "witch hunt" orchestrated by Democrats.
"This is Democrat Political Lawfare, and a Witch Hunt at a level never seen before," wrote Trump. "It is an attempt to badly injure the opposing Party's Leading, by far, Political Candidate. Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before."
"My Civil Rights have been violated, and some Appellate Court, whether Federal or State, must reverse this horrible, un-American decision," he added. "If they can do this to me, they can do this to YOU!"
While partially granting James' motion for a summary judgement on Tuesday, Engoron rejected Trump's motion for the case to be summarily dismissed, while ordering members of his legal team to pay sanctions for pushing "indefensible" arguments in the motion.
The ruling also ordered The Trump Organization and several other New York business entities associated with the ex-president to be stripped of their licenses and potentially face dissolution, a move that some experts have called the "corporate death penalty."
Trump filed his own lawsuit against Engoron earlier this month, which is expected to be ruled on by an appeals court by Thursday. Trump urged the "highest courts" to take control of the case in a Truth Social post on Monday, arguing that he had been "unfairly sued" by James.
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Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
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