Judge Arthur Engoron finds himself at the heart of a potential scandal following the resurfacing of a 2002 report. The controversy centers around Engoron’s relationship with a secretary of opposing counsel during a case over which he was presiding.

According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, defense attorney Nathan Lewin, representing the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada, voiced his concerns over several pre-trial decisions that were unfavorably ruled against his client.

Lewin’s suspicions were aroused by the undisclosed relationship between Engoron and the secretary, identified only as Sue, which he believed could have influenced the case’s outcome.

The Jewish Telgraph Agency wrote in 2002:

The law secretary of Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Martin Schoenfeld may be in hot water for dating the secretary of a plaintiff’s lawyer who had a case pending before the judge. Nathan Lewin, a defense attorney for the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada, said the court’s Jan. 23 ruling against his client in several pre-trial decisions is “suspect” because of that relationship, of which he was not informed until late last month.

Lewin is defending the rabbis in an $11 defamation million suit filed by Helen Chayie Sieger of Borough Park, who claims their decision to allow her husband to remarry without requiring him to grant her a rabbinic divorce in effect labeled her an unfit spouse.

Lewin said in court papers that the law secretary, Arthur Engoron, claims he only began dating the secretary of the opposing counsel, Christopher Sullivan, on May 10. But Lewin said Sullivan’s actions in the case may have been “influenced” by information he received from the woman, identified in the papers only as Sue. And Lewin noted that Engoron “was drafting [later] decisions and communicating” with the judge about this case during the time he was dating Sue.

Schoenfeld, at the request of the defendants, recused himself from the case July 1 after revealing that he had recently learned of the relationship. He said Engoron’s conduct raised ethical questions that he would report to the appropriate authorities, Lewin noted in his papers. Lewin said actions taken in this case may be criminal in nature and asked the court to conduct a full investigation.

The incident, dating back over two decades, has resurfaced amidst Engoron’s recent ruling involving former President Donald Trump’s high profile case. Engoron, a figure already known for his decisive stances in politically charged cases, ruled against Trump, ordering him to pay over $350 million related to charges of financial misconduct.

The allegations from 2002, while not leading to immediate sanctions against Engoron, have prompted renewed discussions. Engoron’s relationship with the opposing counsel’s secretary during an active case presents a classic scenario of potential conflict of interest.

Judge Engoron has played a critical role in the legal saga against Trump in recent months. Notably, he ordered Trump to comply with subpoenas for documents and testimony related to the investigation, and at times, he ruled against Trump’s legal arguments aiming to limit the scope of the investigation or dismiss the case outright.

While the case saw various developments, including appeals and legal challenges, Judge Engoron’s rulings significantly shaped its trajectory. Supporters of Trump have criticized the investigation and Engoron’s rulings as politically motivated.