Republican Party representative Stefanik files an ethics complaint

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik filed an ethics complaint Friday calling for the removal of a judge presiding over the $250 million business fraud trial of former President Donald Trump.

The No. 3 Republican in the House of Representatives and one of Trump’s most loyal allies in the House of Representatives, Stefanik alleged in her complaint that Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron displayed “clear judicial bias” against the former president and showed ” strange behavior’ during his high-profile civil trial.

Stefanik, whose congressional district covers northeastern New York, called on the state Commission on Judicial Conduct to “take corrective action to restore due process and protect our constitutional rights.”

Stefanik also wrote that Engoron “should recuse himself from this case,” even though the commission does not have the power to remove certain judges.

The complaint is a landmark move by Trump’s political allies in Washington to join his aggressive efforts to undermine Engoron, whose rulings in the case could deal a major blow to the former president and his business empire.

The letter from Stefanik, who is not a lawyer and not involved in the case, may also be intended to bolster Trump’s case if he appeals any of Engoron’s possible rulings.

It comes after a week of testimony in the trial of members of the Trump family that some legal experts say did little to help their case.

The lawsuit will resolve claims brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James that accuse Trump, his two grown sons, his company and some of its top executives of fraudulently inflating the value of Trump’s assets to boost his net worth and gained financial benefits.

Engoron will enter verdicts in the trial without a jury, as neither side requested a jury trial ahead of time.

Engoron has already found the defendants liable for fraud. The trial itself will determine how much the defendants will be ordered to pay in restitution or other penalties. The judge will also evaluate six other claims in James’ lawsuit that have not yet been resolved.

In addition to seeking about $250 million in damages, James wants to permanently bar Trump Sr., Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump from operating businesses in New York.

Stefanik’s letter Friday echoed many of Trump’s own criticisms of Engoron and James’ case, as she urged the panel to sanction the judge.

She blasted the judge for standing in front of cameras in the courtroom on the first day of the trial, for granting James’ request for partial summary judgment in the preliminary ruling and for imposing a gag order on Trump and his lawyers. She also echoed Trump’s claim that the value of his Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago resort home was much higher than the appraisals given during the trial.

Engoron barred Trump from making public statements after Trump repeatedly attacked the judge’s chief clerk on the second day of the trial. The judge later expanded that gag order to Trump’s lawyers after their “repeated, inappropriate remarks” about the official.

Trump has been found to have violated this strict order twice since it was imposed, resulting in $15,000 in fines. Stefanik called the order “un-American.”

Her letter also targeted the clerk, alleging that she made more political donations to Democratic candidates than she was allowed to as a judicial officer.

“Judge Engoron’s strange and biased behavior is making the New York court system a laughing stock,” Stefanik wrote. “The Commission’s sanctions against Judge Engoron are necessary to restore confidence in the legal system of our great country.”