The New York State Appellate Division First Department has rejected former President Trump’s challenge to the gag orders imposed by Judge Arthur Engoron.
The non-jury civil trial stems from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against Trump and his businesses in the state.
Back in September, Engoron ruled that Trump and the Trump Organization had committed fraud while building his real estate empire, by deceiving banks, insurers and others, by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.
“He ruled against me without knowing anything about me,” Trump said on the stand. “He called me a fraud, and he didn’t know anything about me.”
Following the ruling, Engoron imposed a partial gag order to prevent all parties from engaging in any verbal attacks against court staff after Trump criticized a member of the judge’s office on social media.
Engoron added that “personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, not appropriate” and warned they would not be tolerated.
Without naming the former president, Engoron was referring to a now-deleted Trump post on his Truth Social account about Engoron’s law clerk, Allison Greenfield.
Trump and his family have denied any wrongdoing and have claimed that the former president has repeatedly said his assets were actually undervalued.
