Clerk’s Donations at Center of Stefanik’s Complaint Against NY Justice in Trump Case

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) has sent a formal judicial complaint to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct regarding Manhattan Justice Arthur Engoron, contending he “has displayed a clear judicial bias against” former President Donald Trump. 

“I filed an official judicial complaint against Judge Arthur Engoron for his inappropriate bias and judicial intemperance in New York’s disgraceful lawsuit against President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization,”  Stefanik said in a statement to Breitbart News and NBC News, which first reported on the complaint, which cites multiple Breitbart News reports.

“Americans are sick and tired of the blatant corruption by radical Leftist judges in NY. All New Yorkers must speak out against the dangerous weaponized lawfare against President Trump,” she added.

In the four-page letter accompanying the complaint, Stefanik contended that “This judge’s bizarre behavior has no place in our judicial system, where Judge Engoron is not honoring the defendant’s rights to due process and a fair trial.” She noted the fact that Trump is the “leading candidate for President of the United States of America” exacerbates the concerns, “and it appears the judicial system is being politicized to affect the outcome of the campaign.” 

Stefanik contended that Engoron has broken “several rules in the New York Code of Judicial Conduct.” She cited a Breitbart News report published on November 2 regarding political donations that Engoron’s top clerk, Allison Greenfield, appeared to make, which exceeded the $500 limit in a calendar year as established in Section 100.5 of the Judicial Conduct code.

“Allison Greenfield has served as Judge Engoron’s principal law clerk since 2019. In both 2022 and 2023, Greenfield donated in excess of $500 to political campaigns. In 2022 alone, Greenfield donated ‘$3,335 in political donations to Democrat candidates and causes,’” Stefanik noted in the letter. 

“She’s already given more than $1,000 in 2023 to campaigns. When President Trump’s attorneys notified Judge Engoron, Judge Engoron responded by issuing an illegal gag order against President Trump’s legal team,” the congresswoman wrote. 

Stefanik also cited an October Daily Wire report on Engoron’s own donations. He has contributed exclusively to Democrats over the past 25 years, per the outlet. Stefanik noted that Section 100.5 of the Judicial Conduct code “says that judges ‘shall refrain’ from ‘making a contribution to a political organization.'”

“New York’s campaign finance database shows Engoron has contributed over $5,000 to candidates and committees, including most recently in 2018 to the Manhattan Democrats,” the Daily Wire report detailed. 

In the letter, Stefanik also referenced reports of Engoron being dissatisfied with Trump not answering a question in a yes or no fashion at the stand on Monday.

“We are not here to hear what he has to say,” Engoron said. “We are here to have him answer questions.”

When Trump’s attorney Alina Habba challenged him on this, saying the matter was more complicated, Engoron said, “I am not here to hear what he has to say, now sit down!”

Habba and fellow Trump lawyer Christopher Kise were both gagged from speaking about “confidential communications” between Engoron and staff days earlier, on November 3. Politico noted that Trump’s counsel had complained about frequent note passing from clerk Allison Greenfield to Engoron before the order on October 3.

Stefanik wrote that “Judge Engoron has made it crystal clear he doesn’t care what the defendant or his attorneys have to say.”

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