Judge Arthur Engoron, the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York City, received a bomb threat at his Long Island home Thursday, just hours before closing arguments were set to be made in the case, according to multiple reports.
FILE - Judge Arthur Engoron, sit on the bench inside New York Supreme Court, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, ... [+]
A spokesperson for the Nassau County Police Department would only confirm to Forbes that there was an “active investigation” into a swatting incident underway and that it was a very “fluid situation” with updates expected later.
The New York Times and the Daily Beast both report Engoron received a threat involving a bomb, prompting a bomb squad to respond to his home.
The threat comes the morning after Trump alleged on Truth Social Engoron and Attorney General Letitia James were “working closely together to ‘screw me’ even though I have done nothing wrong,” calling the trial “rigged and unfair.”
Trump’s ongoing legal drama in New York and beyond has often been accompanied by safety concerns or raucous protests. In the New York fraud trial, Trump has repeatedly attacked Engoron on social media, last month calling him “corrupt and radical” and a “political hack.” Trump was hit with a gag order after making social media attacks on Engoron’s court staff, which Engoron said led to his staff being “inundated” with threats. Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $370 million in damages related to claims that Trump and his business, the Trump Organization, fraudulently overstated the value of assets. She also seeks to ban Trump from doing real estate business in New York.
Public officials and institutions have been the target of bomb threats across the country in recent days. On Wednesday, Florida schools were targeted by statewide bomb threats that the FBI described as a hoax. Colorado and Indiana schools were also targeted earlier this week. And last week, state capital buildings and courthouses across the country were evacuated due to bomb threats. Public officials, predominantly Republicans, have also been the target of recent “swatting” incidents, where a false emergency is called to their homes in order to elicit an emergency response as a form of prank or harassment.