The judge who oversaw former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial received an envelope containing a white powder Wednesday, prompting an emergency response from the NYPD, FDNY and others. The envelope was addressed to Justice Arthur Engoron, who imposed a nearly half-billion dollar judgment against Trump. The letter was received in the operations office of the courthouse at 60 Centre St. around 9:55 a.m. on Wednesday.
Preliminary testing showed the powder was negative for hazardous substances. Justice Engoron had no exposure to the letter or the powdery substance. The operations office where the letter was opened was closed and the affected staff were isolated until Emergency Services tested the powder, officials said.
Engoron imposed a limited gag order on Trump’s statements to protect court staff. A similar gag order is being sought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for Trump’s criminal trial next month at a courthouse two blocks away. The letter tested negative, and no one was injured or reported any symptoms.
Justice Engoron received multiple threats before, during and after Trump’s civil fraud trial, including a bomb threat at his Long Island home on the day of closing arguments.
