On Friday, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik filed an official judicial complaint against Judge Arthur Engoron, citing "inappropriate bias and judicial intemperance" in the New York civil case against former President Donald Trump.
Rep. Stefanik stated in her complaint to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct:
I write today to express my serious concerns about the inappropriate bias and judicial intemperance shown by Judge Arthur F. Engoron in New York’s lawsuit against President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization. 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. These serious concerns are exacerbated by the fact that the defendant is the leading candidate for President of the United States, and it appears the judicial system is being politicized to affect the outcome of the campaign.
Simply put, Judge Engoron has displayed a clear judicial bias against the defendant throughout the case, breaking several rules in the New York Code of Judicial Conduct.
At the end of the statement, the Congresswoman makes an excellent point:
This case is so much bigger than President Donald J. Trump. If Judge Engoron can railroad a billionaire New York businessman, a former President of the United States, and the leading presidential candidate, just imagine what he could do to all New Yorkers. Judge Engoron’s lawlessness sends an ominous and illegal warning to New York business owners: If New York judges don’t like your politics, they will destroy your business, the livelihood of your employees, and you personally. This Commission cannot let this continue.
This, it should be noted, is the judge who slammed a questionable gag order on the former President, and fined him $5,000 for violating that order. Judge Engoron has been openly hostile to President Trump and his defense team during the proceedings. Also, recently our colleague Susie Moore brought us the story of President Trump's attorney Alina Habba torching Judge Engoron on the courthouse steps.
While all this is going on, former President Trump continues to rise in the polls. He now leads President Biden by a narrow margin in a head-to-head matchup in the RealClearPolitics average, is leading in several key states that Biden won in 2020, and maintains an overwhelming lead in the Republican primary polls. Of course, it's too early for polls to have much meaning; at this juncture, not one primary vote has been cast, but the trend is certainly moving Trump's way at the moment, his legal troubles notwithstanding.
While Congresswoman Stefanik's concerns over Judge Engoron's behavior are legitimate and should be taken seriously, it's beginning to look like these lawfare cases may be the best thing to happen to the Trump campaign so far in this election cycle. As the old saying goes, and I would direct this against the Democratic Party: Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.