Judge Launches Investigation into Lawyer’s Advice to Trump, Raises ‘Serious Concerns’

An investigation has been launched by a state commission on judicial conduct after a New York City real estate attorney claimed to have had a conversation with and provided advice to the judge who ruled against Donald Trump in a recent fraud trial, as reported by NBC New York reported.

Attorney Adam Leitman Bailey disclosed that he spoke with Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron three weeks prior to the judgment against Trump, expressing his desire for Engoron to “get it right.”

In response to Bailey’s claims, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct will investigate whether any rules were violated. Retired Presiding New York Appellate Justice Alan Scheinkman expressed concern over Bailey’s statements, suggesting that Engoron should have disclosed the conversation.

Engoron confirmed the conversation through a court spokesman, stating that he was not influenced by Bailey. However, former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker believes further investigation is needed to determine if outside influences corrupted the judge.

Bailey defended his actions, arguing that the fraud statute should not be used to shut down a company without clear victims, a point that Trump’s lawyers also made during the trial. Bailey emphasized that his conversation with Engoron focused solely on the law and did not mention Trump by name.

Trump’s legal team is appealing the judgment, but Bailey, who had his law license suspended in 2019 for unrelated matters, including inappropriate behavior in court, stands by his account of the conversation with Engoron.