Former President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in the Big Apple on Sunday evening for the start of his civil fraud trial on Monday morning.
The $250 million fraud case began when New York Attorney General Letitia James accused Trump, his adult sons and the entire Trump Organization of inflating property values to meet the needs of their business.
On Monday, the civil trial will address what Trump, his companies, his adult sons and his business partners did with that false information. This will be just the beginning of the series of trials Trump faces from October to May.
Due to his constant feud with James, he also called out Judge Arthur Engoron for conducting a ‘witch hunt’ on him. Engoran is the judge assigned to this trial and will have the final say on what happens next for the 45th president.
On Monday, the civil trial will address what Trump, his companies, his adult sons and his business partners did with that false information. This will be just the beginning of the series of trials Trump faces from October to May
Donald Trump arrives in the Big Apple on Sunday evening for his civil fraud trial. He could possibly be in town until Tuesday.
Due to his constant feud with James, he also called out Judge Arthur Engoron for conducting a ‘witch hunt’ on him. Engoran is the judge assigned to this trial and will have the final say on what happens next for the 45th president
Last week, Engoron decided to wipe out Trump’s family business based on widespread fraud. These properties include Trump Tower and the Trump Internatinal Hotel.
Since those properties were taken, Trump has spoken openly about his feelings about Judge Engoron’s decision.
“I have a deranged, Trump-hating judge who moved this FAKE CASE through a NYS court at unprecedented speed,” Trump said on social media.
In addition to attempting to delay his trial, Politics reported that Trump went a step further and “accused the judge of failing to comply with previous appeals,” which he said changed the scope of the case against him.
The former president’s legal team was a bit taken aback by Engoron’s abrupt decision, even after James discovered that Trump and his company had deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth by paperwork used in closing deals and securing financing.
She also said he has increased valuations by up to $2 billion, boosting the value of signature assets including the Mar-a-Lago club where he now resides and his Manhattan penthouse apartment in Trump Tower.
Trump, his company and key executives repeatedly lied about them in his annual financial statements, reaping rewards such as favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums, Engoron found.
Engoron has responded to Trump’s claims with “Refusal to sign” and “the defendants’ arguments are completely without merit.”
Trump, his company and key executives repeatedly lied about them in his annual financial statements, reaping rewards such as favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums, Engoron found
The attorney general did not start this feud between Trump and the judge, as the two have had a history.
He previously held Trump in contempt of court and ordered him to pay $100,000 after learning he had failed to comply with the subpoena issued by James’ office.
On January 15, he will kick off his federal defamation lawsuit, brought by E. Jean Carroll. Later that month, on January 29, a federal class action lawsuit will begin accusing him and his company of promoting a pyramid scheme.
Then on March 4, Trump will face a federal criminal trial on charges that he tried to interfere in the 2020 election. On March 25, he will be back in New York for a case brought over his alleged mishandling of secret documents.
Technically, he doesn’t have to attend the civil trial unless he is called to testify by James, which she says she is considering.
So far, he has not appeared in court for any of his federal civil trials from earlier this year.
Engoron previously held Trump in contempt of court and ordered him to pay $100,000 after learning he had failed to comply with a subpoena from James’ office.
Trump and his co-defendants will face Judge Engoron alone in a judicial trial instead of a jury.
Through a court spokesperson, Engoron declined to comment on Trump’s barbs. He is banned from commenting on the case to the news media.
Engoron has been involved in Trump-related cases since 2020, when he was assigned to intervene in arguments between Trump’s lawyers and James’ office over demands for evidence and the direction of its investigation.
There is a chance Trump could remain in New York City until Tuesday based on the outcome of Monday’s trial.