Former President Donald Trump, who faces multiple indictments and civil lawsuits, just received some great news, for the time being.
According to Reuters, a New York state appeals court judge announced that a lawsuit brought against Trump and his New York business empire by New York Attorney General Letitia James has been halted.
The order to halt the trial came in the wake of a lawsuit Trump filed against the judge overseeing the case, Justice Arthur Engoron.
The trial was scheduled to begin on Oct. 2, but it's now uncertain if that will remain the case.
James' claims against the former president and his family business include allegations that his assets and net worth were illegally inflated in an effort to borrow more money on better terms.
Reuters noted:
The attorney general has said that a "mountain of evidence" shows how Trump and his associates lied over a decade about his assets and net worth, which she says may have been inflated by as much as $3.6 billion, to obtain better terms on loans and insurance.
James filed the lawsuit in September 2022, and in addition to wanting Trump and his two sons barred from running the Trump Organization, she's also seeking a $250 million fine.
A New York state appeals court judge temporarily halted the scheduled Oct. 2 trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James' fraud lawsuit against Donald Trump and his family business, a spokesman for the court said https://t.co/UNnzFwstXT
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 15, 2023
An interim stay on the trial was granted by appeals court Justice David Friedman. The matter will now reportedly move to a five-member panel for a final ruling, expected by the end of September.
Reuters added:
Friedman's stay does not apply to a scheduled Sept. 22 hearing before Engoron on both sides' motions for summary judgment, which can proceed as planned, the court spokesman said.
The former president has denied James' allegations that any fraudulent activity had taken place within the Trump Organization and has fought hard to have the lawsuit dropped altogether.
Trump has labeled the lawsuit as a political "witch hunt" and nothing more than an effort to boost James' political image on the left.
He currently faces four indictments -- two federal and two state -- and has described them in similar fashion, adding that he believes it's "election interference" at its core, meant to disrupt his 2024 presidential campaign.
Only time will tell if Trump notches a win in this particular case.
