NEW YORK (AP) — The New York lawyer general’s Lawsuit accusing Donald Trump and his firm of fraud has been assigned to a state court docket judge who repeatedly ruled versus the previous president in connected subpoena disputes — together with keeping him in contempt, fining him $110,000 and forcing him to sit for a deposition.

Trump’s lawyers are objecting to Manhattan Choose Arthur Engoron’s ongoing involvement and accused Legal professional Standard Letitia James’ place of work of trying to “judge shop” mainly because, in paperwork in search of assignment of a decide, it famous Engoron’s know-how of the circumstance and connected the lawsuit and subpoena disputes as “similar” issues.

In a letter Thursday to the court’s administrative judge, Trump law firm Alina Habba argued that the lawsuit should really as an alternative be assigned to the court’s Industrial Division, which is established up to tackle complex company litigation.

James’ business, which submitted the lawsuit previous 7 days, is angling to get the situation to demo by the conclusion of upcoming year — prior to the first primaries in the 2024 presidential election. In a reaction, it reported the case should remain with Engoron in portion because of “the level of familiarity” he’s developed in dealing with discovery and subpoena difficulties in the underlying investigation.

“Given the fact that this action will involve allegations of an ongoing plan and conspiracy to get hold of hundreds of thousands of pounds via fraudulent activity, and that defendants repeatedly have sought to delay the summary of (James’ investigation), it is critical that this scenario move forward swiftly,” Wallace wrote.

A court spokesperson mentioned Engoron experienced no remark.

James’ lawsuit alleges Trump and the Trump Organization inflated his internet worthy of by billions of bucks and misled banking institutions and others for a long time about the value of prized belongings like golfing courses, accommodations and his Mar-a-Lago estate. She is in search of $250 million and a long-lasting ban on Trump executing business enterprise in the point out.

Trump’s three eldest small children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump, were also named as defendants, together with two longtime company executives. A lawyer for Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump sent a letter Thursday to the administrative decide echoing Habba’s contact to shift the circumstance to the court’s Professional Division.

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Engoron, a Democrat, has been associated in Trump-related conditions considering that 2020, when he was assigned to intervene in quarrels between Trump’s attorneys and James’ office over requires for proof and the direction of her investigation.

Trump, a Republican who’s been laying groundwork for a likely comeback campaign for president, claimed bias immediately after many of Engoron’s rulings went in opposition to him, declaring in a assertion: “I simply cannot get a truthful hearing in New York due to the fact of the hatred of me by Judges and the judiciary. It is not achievable.”

In February, Engoron enforced a subpoena for Trump and two of his youngsters, Ivanka and Donald Jr., to give deposition testimony underneath oath. They testified in August soon after a condition appeals court docket turned down attempts to overturn the ruling. Trump invoked his Fifth Modification security in opposition to self-incrimination much more than 400 occasions.

In April, Engoron held the former president in contempt of courtroom and fined him for being sluggish to react to a subpoena requiring him to convert around sure files. Engoron lifted the contempt discovering in June just after Trump paid out the $110,000 fine and complied with other demands.

Engoron has also issued rulings purchasing the Trump Business and its appraiser, Cushman & Wakefield to hand about proof, and demanding a further son, Eric Trump, to testify at a deposition.

Trump has decried James’ lawsuit as “Another Witch Hunt” and noted that his company’s financial disclosures warned banks not to belief the info supplied.

Habba claimed the allegations in the lawsuit are “meritless.”

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Comply with Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak