Eric Trump denied ever having anything to do with financial statements related to his father’s real estate empire when he took the witness stand in a civil fraud trial.
The former president’s son raised his voice in annoyance as he was repeatedly questioned about documents related to the family business, the Trump Organization.
He told a New York court: ‘We are a huge organization, a huge real estate organization. Of course I understand that we have financial statements, absolutely.”
But he added: ‘I was not involved in, nor did I ever cooperate with, my father’s statement about the financial situation.’
Earlier, Eric had arrived at the court while his brother Don Jr. flashed his thumbs up.
Eric Trump (L) and Donald Trump Jr. (R) arrive at the court in New York
Eric Trump gives a thumbs up before taking his stand
There were more thumbs up from Don Jr. when he entered the court
Judge Arthur Engoron allowed the media to take photos in the courtroom.
The judge joked: ‘Is everyone wearing make-up?’ and added, “Do you think they have enough pictures?”
The Trump brothers are both testifying today in a $250 million civil fraud trial.
Judge Engoron has already ruled that former President Donald Trump, Don Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization fraudulently inflated the value of its properties to secure favorable loan terms.
Don Jr., 45, took the stand Wednesday and Thursday morning before Eric was called.
In his testimony, Don Jr. acknowledged that he had signed financial documents that the judge found to be fraudulent.
However, he suggested that the blame lay with others who worked on the documents.
Don Jr. said he relied on accountants within the Trump Organization and outside the Mazars firm to ensure financial estimates related to Trump properties and other assets were accurate.
“They had more information and details about all of this than I would have,” he said. “That’s why we have accountants.”
The financial documents are at the heart of the lawsuit, which threatens to undermine the Trump family’s property empire.
Don Jr.’s testimony ended shortly before lunch and his brother Eric was expected to follow him on the witness stand.
The two brothers took control of the Trump Organization in 2017 when their father became president of the United States.
Don Jr. told the court that the company has improved its accounting since New York Attorney General Letitia James began investigating its finances.
Donald Trump Jr. and lawyer Alina Habba (L) in court
Eric Trump is waiting to testify
The company’s top financial officer is now a certified public accountant, unlike former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, he said.
Weisselberg pleaded guilty to tax crimes in a separate case in 2022.
Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, is expected to testify in the case on Monday.
James is seeking at least $250 million in damages and a permanent ban on Trump, Don Jr. and Eric who operate businesses in upstate New York.
The civil trial is expected to last through December.
In a late-night social media post earlier this week, Trump took aim at the judge.
He wrote: ‘Leave my children alone, Engoron. You are a disgrace to the legal profession!’
The former president has been in the courtroom several times to observe the proceedings.
Last week, he sat angrily at the defendant’s table as Michael Cohen, his former personal attorney and fixer, testified.
Cohen told the court that Trump directed him to manipulate the values of his company’s assets.
Donald Trump told Judge Arthur Engoron (R) to ‘leave my children alone’
New York Attorney General Letitia James (right) in court
The trial is part of a series of cases Trump will face as he campaigns to retake the White House.
He faces a total of 91 felony charges in four separate criminal prosecutions, including two cases stemming from efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
Trump has denied wrongdoing in all his criminal and civil cases.
In the New York case, he accused Judge Engoron of political bias.
When the trial resumed on Thursday, he wrote on social media: “This is a major miscarriage of justice.”
Judge Engoron has already fined Trump $15,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order banning him from publicly criticizing court staff.