New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron reportedly appeared "dubious" Monday about a scheme to raise a $175 million bond so that Donald Trump could appeal a fraud ruling against him.
Engoron ordered the hearing after New York Attorney General Letitia James asked to revoke the bond because she had doubts that insurance company Knight Specialty Insurance could legitimately put it up. Engoron indicated that Knight Specialty Insurance Company would have to prove it could assure bond payment.
"Engoron seems dubious of relying on Charles Schwab to maintain $175M of collateral," Law360 reporter Rachel Scharf noted on X, referring to Trump using a Charles Schwab account as collateral and James' concerns that Trump still had access to the account.
"What if they break the agreement?” Merchan asked.
"Your hypothetical is calling into question the veracity of one of the largest financial institutions in the world," Trump attorney Chris Kise pleaded.
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The attorney said there was a backup plan if the bond fell through.
"There's hundreds of millions of dollars worth of real estate that the defendants own right here in the city that could be seized with the stroke of your pen," Kise said.
The hearing occurred as Trump's separate hush-money criminal trial was underway in Justice Juan Merchan's courtroom. Trump attacked Engoron from outside the courtroom in a short statement to the press.
"So I just want you to know that that's taking place in front of an extremely crazed judge, he is the most overturned judge in New York State," Trump said of Engoron. "He was overturned four or five times on that case alone."
"That's — you know who it is," he added. "I [don't] have to mention names. I want to be nice. I want to be very nice."
