Arthur Engoron, judge in Trump civil fraud case, received envelope with powder, police respond to courthouse

AARON KATERSKY
·1 min read
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Arthur Engoron, judge in Trump civil fraud case, received envelope with powder, police respond to courthouse
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The New York City judge who oversaw former President Donald Trump's civil fraud trial received an envelope containing a powdery substance Wednesday morning, prompting emergency services to respond to the courthouse, officials said.

The envelope was addressed to Justice Arthur Engoron, who imposed a nearly half-billion dollar judgment against Trump.

PHOTO: Judge Arthur Engoron, sit on the bench inside New York Supreme Court, Oct. 10, 2023, in New York. (Seth Wenig/AP)
PHOTO: Judge Arthur Engoron, sit on the bench inside New York Supreme Court, Oct. 10, 2023, in New York. (Seth Wenig/AP)

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Preliminary testing showed the powder was "negative for hazardous substances," a spokesperson for the New York State Unified Court System said. Additional tests are being done out of an abundance of caution, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The letter was received in the operations office of the downtown Manhattan courthouse, and affected staff members were isolated until the powder was tested, the spokesperson said.

Engoron was never exposed to the substance, the spokesperson said.

MORE: Trump plans to post $100 million bond against 'punitive' $464M judgment in fraud case

Additionally, a white powder envelope was received Tuesday at the Albany, New York, office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the civil case against Trump that Engoron oversaw, according to a source familiar with the situation.

PHOTO: Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference following a verdict against former U.S. President Donald Trump in a civil fraud trial on February 16, 2024 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
PHOTO: Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference following a verdict against former U.S. President Donald Trump in a civil fraud trial on February 16, 2024 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The substance inside the envelope tested negative for anything hazardous and nobody was hurt, the source said.

MORE: Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg asks for gag order in Trump hush money case after dozens of threats

Engoron received multiple threats before, during and after Trump's civil fraud trial, including a bomb threat at his Long Island home on the day of closing arguments.

Engoron imposed a limited gag order on Trump's statements to protect court staff.

A similar gag order is being sought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for Trump's criminal trial, which is set to begin next month at a courthouse two blocks away.

Arthur Engoron, judge in Trump civil fraud case, received envelope with powder, police respond to courthouse originally appeared on abcnews.go.com