Trump and Hochul Clash Over Alleged Judicial Influence Comments

President Donald Trump and New York Governor Kathy Hochul are engaged in a public dispute over alleged comments made during a February Oval Office meeting. White House sources claim Hochul told Trump "I control the judges" during discussions about policy issues including the Manhattan congestion tax, which Trump's team has characterized as an implicit threat regarding his ongoing $480 million fraud penalty appeal in New York courts. Hochul's office has categorically denied these allegations.

The controversy unfolds against the backdrop of Trump's appeal of a February 2024 ruling by New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron, which ordered him to pay $364 million for allegedly inflating his net worth to secure better loan terms. The appeal has been pending for 14 months in the New York Appellate Division's First Department, a duration that legal experts note is significantly longer than the typical five to six month timeframe. The penalty has reportedly grown to exceed $480 million with accruing interest.

Hochul's spokesman Avi Small stated the governor "respects the independence of the judiciary" and "has never attempted to interfere in ongoing cases." While Hochul did not appoint any of the five judges deciding Trump's appeal, she did elevate Judge Dianne Renwick to presiding justice in 2023, and the other judges rely on the governor for reappointment every five years. The White House has rejected Hochul's denial, with a senior administration official suggesting she would naturally deny "attempting to extort the president."

The meeting reportedly involved discussions about the Manhattan congestion tax, a gas pipeline project, and requests for federal funding for wind projects and Penn Station upgrades. Hochul's office acknowledged making a "lighthearted joke" about getting Trump interested in contributing federal funds to renovate Penn Station, but denied offering to rename Moynihan Train Hall after him as alleged by some administration sources.

The article also notes that New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the original case against Trump, has been referred to the Department of Justice for alleged mortgage fraud. During the September 2024 appeal hearing, several judges expressed skepticism about aspects of the case against Trump, questioning whether anyone lost money in the transactions and describing the penalty as "troubling," though no decision has been issued in the seven months since.