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Suspicious white powder sent to Manhattan court where Trump judge has offices: NYPD
By
Bahar Ostadan
and
Samantha Max
Published Feb 28, 2024
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Harold M. Lambert / Getty
By
Bahar Ostadan
and
Samantha Max
Published Feb 28, 2024
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An envelope containing a suspicious white powder was discovered at a Manhattan courthouse on Wednesday — addressed to the judge who oversaw former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial, police and court officials said.
A court officer opened the envelope just before 9:30 a.m. and found white powder spilling onto his lap, according to a police spokesperson. The powder was later deemed “non-hazardous,” and police are investigating the incident, the NYPD said.
Courts spokesperson Al Baker confirmed Justice Arthur F. Engoron was targeted.
"Justice Engoron had no exposure to the letter or the powdery substance," he said. "The Court remained open. The matter is under investigation by law enforcement.”
Engoron has faced a barrage of “threats, harassment and disparaging comments,” since he was chosen to oversee a civil trial against former President Donald Trump and his real estate company, according to court records. The lawsuit was brought by Attorney General Letitia James.
Court Officer-Captain Charles Hollon said in an affidavit last fall that the judge and his law clerk have been subjected to harassment on social media, in phone calls and in emails, including by Trump himself.
Hollon said he considered the threats to be “serious and credible.” His affidavit quoted passages from various voicemails left on the chamber's phone, which included antisemitic comments, insults, calls for Engoron's resignation, wishes for him to “f---ing die” and a pledge to “come for you.”
The judge’s critics also exposed Engoron’s clerk’s cellphone number and personal email address, according to Hollon. He said the clerk received about 20 to 30 calls and 30-50 messages a day.
The courts imposed gag orders to prevent threats during the civil trial, which Trump appealed, NPR reported. The former president was fined $10,000 for violating a gag order in October, after he criticized the judge during a break in the proceedings.
Ultimately Engoron ruled that Trump was liable for $454 million in a fraud judgement — a decision he is appealing.
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Bahar Ostadan
Bahar Ostadan covers the NYPD and public safety. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or message Bahar on Signal at 646-740-7335.
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Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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