Trump lawyer apologizes to judge for saying NY AG's attorney is a Putin stooge
The judge in Donald Trump's New York fraud trial mostly denied a motion from New York Attorney General Leticia James to exclude four witnesses without prejudice after she argued that they were no longer relevant to the case, NBC News reported. But during the debate over that motion, there were some personal attacks lobbed, and an apology.
According to The Messenger's Adam Klasfeld, the AG's counsel, Andrew Amer, argued that the state should benefit from a "streamlined trial" due to the earlier fraud finding.
Amer was reportedly hit with attacks after that.
"Chris Kise immediately launches into personal attacks on the AG's lawyers. The judge asks him to apologize. He refuses," Klasfeld reported Thursday.
Kise reportedly said that one of the AG's lead counsel should "check the internet."
"Vladimir Putin has some openings,” Kise said, according to Klasfeld's reporting.
Justice Engoron reportedly described Kise's insult as a McCarthyist throwback to language like: “He’s a communist. Send him to Russia. [...] I think it was totally uncalled for, totally incorrect," Klasfeld's report said.
According to MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin, there was also a "classy" moment where Kise apologized for calling prosecutors Putin stooges.
“When you’re right, you’re right," he said.