Bomb threat at Trump Judge's home ahead of $370mln civil fraud trial
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The incident unfolds on the final day of a legal dispute related to an alleged multi-million-dollar fraud, adding a tense twist to an already high-stakes courtroom drama.
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Judge Arthur Engoron sits in the courtroom before the start of closing arguments in former President Donald Trump's civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court on Thursday in New York. (AP)
New York police have addressed a bomb threat targeting the judge presiding over a case implicating former President Donald Trump in significant fraud.
Simultaneously, US Court authorities rushed to ensure that the incident would not disrupt the ongoing civil suit, which is currently in the final stages of closing arguments.
The bomb threat occurred shortly before the conclusion of Donald Trump's fraud trial on Thursday morning local time. The Nassau County Police Department characterized it as a "swatting incident" directed at Judge Arthur Engoron's residence. Court spokesperson Al Baker later confirmed that the incident involved a bomb threat.
“There was a threat. I can confirm a bomb threat,” Baker said, as quoted by AP. “As of now we are going forward as scheduled and the court proceedings and closing arguments are going ahead as planned."
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Donald Trump appeared at an appellate court in Washington, DC, last Tuesday for a hearing on his claim to presidential immunity in the federal election meddling case against him.
Three judges are due to hear arguments over Trump's claim of immunity from prosecution on accusations stemming from his alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election.
The former President is charged with four federal crimes, including conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to impede an official action, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy to disenfranchise voters.
Trump has maintained his innocence.
Last month, a request by special counsel Jack Smith to fast-track considering Trump's immunity from prosecution in the federal 2020 election interference case was rejected by the Supreme Court.
This move increases the possibility of his federal 2020 election trial stretching beyond the scheduled March 4 date, as the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will now consider the immunity question.
In an earlier request, Smith asked the high court to decide as fast as possible if Trump is "absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office," according to the filing.
Trump's legal team requested a stay on proceedings following a rejection by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, for arguments that he had immunity from the indictment.
Foreign govts paid Trump firms $7.8mln while President: Report
A congressional report last Thursday revealed that Donald Trump's businesses received at least 7.8 million dollars from foreign governments during his presidential term.
According to the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, officials from China, Turkey, India, Saudi Arabia, and Congo were among the 20 countries that have all forwarded money to Trump's institutions.
This is considered a violation of the "foreign emoluments" clause, which states that federal officials cannot accept foreign payments without congressional discretion.
The report, titled "White House for Sale," stated that it could only trace back foreign revenues across four of Trump's multi-hundred businesses, paid by 20 countries including some "unsavory" ones, hinting at the Chinese Republic.
Besides the aforementioned violations, Trump currently faces a series of fraud lawsuits. He is currently on trial in New York over fraudulent financial statements that inflated the value of his real estate assets.
