Trump lawyers got so heated in court hearing for NY AG investigation that the judge had to call time-outs, report says
- A NY judge ruled Thursday that Trump must sit for a deposition in NY AG Letitia James' investigation.
- Trump lawyers got so angry during court proceedings that the judge called time-outs, the NYT reported.
Lawyers representing former President Donald Trump in his battle with the New York attorney general's office got so tense in court proceedings on Thursday that the judge had to call several time-outs, The New York Times reported.
New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron ruled on Thursday that Trump and two of his children had to sit for depositions in Attorney General Letitia James' civil investigation into whether the Trump Organization broke state laws in its business dealings.
James has long tried to compel Trump to submit to questioning as part of her investigation, and Trump has fought those efforts in court.
Engoron ruled that Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump should be questioned within 21 days, saying James "uncovers copious evidence of possible financial fraud, and wants to question, under oath, several of the entities' principals, including its namesake. She has the clear right to do so."
During the virtual hearing that preceded the order, Trump's lawyers grew extremely irked while trying to fight James' request, The Times reported.
They grew so heated that Engoron and his clerk had to call for time-outs multiple times, The Times reported, writing that they were on several occasions "raising their hands in the shape of a T."
As Insider's Laura Italiano, Sonam Sheth, and Jacob Shamsian reported, Trump lawyers also attacked James personally during the Thursday hearing, with the attorney Alina Habba accusing James, a Democrat, of "prosecutorial misconduct."
"The only reason she is doing this is because he is a former president, and on the other side of the fence," Habba said.
Ron Fischetti, another Trump attorney, told Insider they would appeal the ruling.
In a statement, James said: "No one will be permitted to stand in the way of the pursuit of justice, no matter how powerful they are. No one is above the law."
In a statement issued the same day, Trump said James' office was "doing everything within their corrupt discretion to interfere with my business relationships, and with the political process."
"It is a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in history — and remember, I can't get a fair hearing in New York because of the hatred of me by Judges and the judiciary. It is not possible!"