Trump’s Lawyers Attempt to Delay The $250M Trial, Judge Engoron Strikes it Down: 'Nice Try'

Former president Donald Trump faced another obstacle as he tried to delay the New York $250 million civil trial against him. Christopher Kise, Trump's lawyer, attempted to further muck up the legal system that is now ensnaring his client. However, the judge presiding over the case saw right through it, dismissing his argument outright, per Raw Story.

MSNBC legal expert Lisa Rubin tweeted that Kise changed his mind about filing a plea to delay Trump's planned testimony in the case until the appeals against Judge Arthur Engoron's gag order were exhausted. Rubin tweeted a conversation she had with Kise in which she inquired whether Kise planned to "ask Judge Engereon[sic] to pause the trial so that President Trump's appellate rights can be vindicated." Rubin shared that "[Kise] still asked, and got a 'nice try' from Engoron."

Trump attempted to derail the case last month too, when he asked for a mistrial, but the New York state court refused his plea, calling it "futile" since the motion was without basis. They claimed prejudice on Engoron's bench, which the judge and the staff have denied, per Axios.

Trump is still fighting Judge Engoron's gag order, which he ordered in reaction to the former president's relentless barrage of insults directed at legal clerk Allison Greenfield. Trump's social media posts regarding Greenfield allegedly led to a flood of death threats from Trump followers, many of which were anti-Semitic in origin.

"Ms. Greenfield's personal information, including her personal cell phone number and personal email addresses also have been compromised resulting in daily doxing. She has been subjected to, daily, harassing, disparaging comments and antisemitic tropes," a court document detailing the threats read. "I have been informed by Ms. Greenfield that she has been receiving approximately 20-30 calls per day to her personal cell phone and approximately 30-50 messages per day on combined sites of social media, Linkedln, and two (2) personal email addresses."

Engoron, who is presiding over the bench trial and will provide a decision, has already determined that Trump is culpable for fraud. The ruling will eventually determine how much Trump must pay in financial penalties. New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $250 million in damages, charging that Trump submitted fraudulent financial statements with the intent of boosting the value of Trump's real estate holdings to achieve more advantageous tax and insurance advantages, per Axios.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has attempted to use his legal problems as he runs for the Republican presidential nominee in 2024. The trial in New York is one of several that Trump is anticipated to face before the 2024 election. If Trump is found guilty in the lawsuit, it may have far-reaching consequences for the GOP presidential frontrunner's campaign in 2024, and Trump and his family's corporate empire might face severe financial fines and significant limits on their ability to operate in New York, per Axios.