A judge in former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud case received an envelope containing white powder Wednesday morning, prompting an emergency response at a downtown Manhattan courthouse, court officials said.
The incident occurred at the New York County Courthouse around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday when a court employee opened an envelope addressed to Judge Arthur Engoron and found a white powdery substance inside, court spokesman Al Baker said. he confirmed to The Hill.
Authorities closed down the office where the letter was opened and affected staff were placed in isolation until preliminary testing showed the substance was non-hazardous, Baker added.
“Judge Engoron had no contact with the letter or the powdered substance,” he said. “The court remained open. The matter remains under investigation by law enforcement.”
The New York City Police Department confirmed that its 5th Precinct responded to the incident after receiving a 911 call about a suspicious powder found in a court employee’s pants. Police have not confirmed that Mr Engoron was the recipient of the letter.
Mr. Engoron has received multiple threats before and after Mr. Trump’s civil fraud trial, including a bomb threat to his Long Island home last month. Out of an abundance of caution following the threat, additional security has been added.
Wednesday’s case comes weeks after Trump was ordered to pay a penalty of about $355 million, plus interest, after concluding that Mr. Engoron conspired to alter his net worth to receive tax and insurance benefits. woke up.
The total judgment against Trump has increased by nearly $112,000 for every day interest is not paid, and now stands at more than $454 million.
Trump appealed the wrongful conviction earlier this week.
The Hill’s Ella Lee contributed.
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