Trump admin and Gov. Hochul in war of words over – Latest News
As the New York appellate panel deciding Donald Trump’s appeal of a $480 million fraud penalty drags into its second 12 months, Gov. Hochul stands accused of utilizing her energy over state judges to implicitly threaten the president.
White House sources declare Hochul instructed Trump “I control the judges” during a February assembly in the Oval Office to debate coverage points such because the Manhattan congestion tax.
Hochul emphatically denies making the assertion.
Hochul at a press convention in assist of congestion pricing in Manhattan on March 21, 2025. Matthew McDermott
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul allegedly instructed President Trump that “I control the judges” concerned in the appeal of his civil fraud ruling during a February Oval Office assembly. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
But the president, sources stated, perceived the dialog as an implicit menace referring to his appeal in opposition to a civil fraud ruling in February 2024 by New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron, who ordered Trump to pay $364 million for allegedly inflating his internet value 15 years in the past to secure higher bank loan phrases.
A legal source acquainted with the Oval Office dialogue stated the governor requested the president to drop his opposition to the $9 congestion tax she has imposed on New Yorkers, abandon a gasoline pipeline he favors and present federal funding for wind initiatives and an improve of Penn Station.
Hochul is making calls for whereas “keeping the [appeal] hanging over his head,” stated the source. “It feels like extortion and blackmail.”
‘Gov never said this’
The governor’s spokesman Avi Small says any individual might have misheard or be mendacity — and it’s not Hochul.
“Governor Hochul has never said this, or anything similar, to President Trump or anyone,” Small claimed. “The Governor respects the independence of the judiciary, has by no means tried to intrude in ongoing circumstances, and doesn’t have any position to play in the judicial course of — nor did she ever say that she did.
“Someone must have completely misheard the governor during this conversation, or they’re purposefully lying to advance a political agenda.”
Hochul at a assembly of governors on the White House on Feb. 21, 2025 — the identical day of her Oval Office assembly with Trump. ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
A senior Trump administration official stated: “Of course she would deny attempting to extort the president of the United States. Just like she denied overseeing the weaponization of justice in her own state.”
Meanwhile, a Cabinet member current on the one-hour Oval Office assembly didn’t contradict the president’s recollection of his dialog with Hochul however couldn’t present particulars of what was stated when contacted by The Post.
Another Cabinet source who didn’t attend the assembly stated Hochul has since tried to ingratiate herself with Trump by offering to rename the Moynihan Train Hall after him.
Hochul allegedly provided to probably identify the Moynihan Train Hall after Trump to win his favor. Christopher Sadowski
In response, Small instructed The Post that the governor thought of the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan a “mentor” and that “under no circumstances would she ever propose changing the name of Moynihan Train Hall.”
He added, nevertheless: “The governor did make a lighthearted joke about how to get President Trump interested in contributing federal funds to renovate Penn Station.”
‘Dragging their heels’
The extraordinary 14-month delay in deciding Trump’s appeal is sort of thrice longer than the average wait in the New York Appellate Division, First Department, based on legal specialists.
“In the ordinary course, an appeal in the First Department is decided about five to six months from the date an appellant files an opening brief and record,” says senior appellate counsel Bill White of Counsel Press LLC.
Trump’s attorneys filed his appeal on Feb. 26 final 12 months, and the court docket held an oral argument listening to in September.
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“It is obvious that they are dragging their heels,” says legendary trial legal professional Joe Tacopina, who has acted for Trump in different circumstances.
He calls the 14-month delay “insane and obviously another ‘special treatment’ for Trump.”
He stated: “After oral argument or submission, the court usually issues a decision within a couple of months, though it can sometimes take longer depending on the complexity of the case or the court’s docket.”
A spokesman for the Clerk of the Appellate Division, First Department, stated: “We don’t discuss pending matters before the court.”
As governor since 2021, Hochul has the authority to nominate judges throughout varied courts. New York’s distinctive judicial choice system offers her an extraordinary degree of control not loved by many different state governors, significantly in the Appellate Division, the place there’s no need for Senate affirmation, giving her more direct affect.
New York AG Letitia James leaving her home on April 16, 2025 after being referred to the DOJ for prison costs. Gregory P. Mango
Hochul didn’t appoint any of the 5 First Department judges who’re deciding Trump’s appeal: Dianne Renwick, David Friedman, Peter Moulton, John Higgitt and Llinét Rosado.
However, Hochul elevated Renwick to presiding justice in 2023, and the opposite judges depend on Hochul to reappoint them each 5 years.
AG’s taunting
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump, his company, and his sons, has taunted the president on social media concerning the $112,000 every day curiosity accruing on his penalty, which now exceeds $480 million.
Trump’s attorneys had been optimistic after his appeal was heard on Sept. 26, 2024, when some of the judges expressed skepticism concerning the legal professional common’s principle of the case.
Judge Friedman questioned whether or not the AG’s workplace had ever earlier than used the identical law “to upset a private business transaction,” noting Trump’s transactions had been with “some of the most sophisticated actors in business,” like Deutsche Bank.
He famous that no person “lost any money.”
Judge Moulton stated “the immense penalty in this case is troubling” and famous “the parties left these transactions happy.”
He additionally questioned the AG’s “mission creep,” questioning if the statute had “morphed into something that it was not meant to do?”
Judge Higgitt was involved that the AG could also be “going into an area where she doesn’t have jurisdiction.”
But there was radio silence from the judges in the seven months since they made these promising feedback.
Weaponized justice
If Trump wins, he’ll nonetheless be out of pocket for the prices he incurred securing the bond required to lodge the appeal. In March, the appellate court docket lowered the bond required from $464 million (the complete quantity with curiosity on the time) to $175 million. The solely option to recoup his prices, more likely to be a number of million {dollars}, will probably be to sue the state of New York.
Trump’s attorneys accused James of weaponizing the New York justice system to focus on a political adversary and stated Judge Engoron demonstrated “tangible and overwhelming” bias during the trial.
James campaigned in 2018 for the place of legal professional common on taking down Trump, who she referred to as an “illegitimate president” and an “embarrassment.”
In return, Trump has referred to as her a “racist prosecutor” conducting a “witch hunt” in opposition to him.
Weeks after being inaugurated, the president stripped James of her security clearance, barring her from accessing categorized info and coming into federal amenities like courthouses, US attorneys’ places of work or FBI subject places of work.
Ironically, this week James was referred to the DOJ for prison costs by the Federal Housing Finance Agency over allegations she dedicated mortgage fraud by falsifying information to obtain favorable loan phrases on her properties in Virginia and New York.
Live by the sword, die by the sword.
