Trump could make his OWN closing arguments at fraud trial where he faces a fine of up to $370million

Former President Donald Trump could make his own closing arguments Thursday in his civil business fraud case in New York, where he faces a fine of up to $370 million, in addition to demands from his legal team.

Trump is a defendant in the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has increased the fine she wants the ex-president to pay from $250 million.

In the case, the Republican front-runner for president is accused of inflating the value of properties, including his Mar-a-Lago home in Floridato get better loan conditions.

A lawyer for Trump informed Judge Arthur Engoron earlier this week that the former president wanted to speak during closing arguments, and the judge approved the plan, according to sources.

Both people who confirmed the plan did so on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal the information to reporters.

The Trump campaign and a spokesperson for James declined to comment.

The former president and current Republican frontrunner has denied any wrongdoing, and he condemned the case during a tense day of testimony, on social media and in oral comments in the courthouse hallway.

In recent days on his Truth Social platform, he called the case a “hoax,” dismissed the months-long proceeding as a “pathetic excuse for a lawsuit” and criticized the judge and attorney general, both Democrats.

But delivering a demand letter would be a different matter. Although some people represent themselves, it is very unusual for defendants to file suit personally if they have an attorney to do so. Trump has several, and he is not a lawyer himself.

In closing arguments, both sides give their opinions on what the evidence has shown and why they should win. It is the last chance for each side to try to convince the final decision maker – in this case Judge Engoron.

Trump’s plans for the trial have changed before. He was scheduled to testify as a witness for the second time in December, but canceled the day before because he “had nothing more to say.”

James’ office says Trump, his company and several top executives defrauded banks and insurers by massively bloating the values ​​of assets such as his Trump Tower triplex in New York and his Mar-a-Lago club and residence in Florida.

The state claims the higher numbers got Trump better rates, while lenders and insurers weren’t given the information they needed to make a truly informed assessment of the risk they faced and what to charge for it.

The “defendants reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains through their unlawful conduct,” state attorneys wrote in a court filing Friday. They are seeking $370 million in fines, plus interest, and a ban on Trump doing business in New York.

The defense says Trump was more than eligible for the deals he got — and that he has stuck to them, including by paying back all loans.

He and his lawyers argue that his financial statements were clearly presented as unaudited estimates that recipients would have to check for themselves, and that the net worth figures were far too low, not the opposite.

Any exaggerations were merely errors too small to affect the final result, the defense says.

“No losses were incurred by any party as the loans here were negotiated between highly sophisticated parties,” Trump attorneys Christopher Kise and Michael T. Madaio wrote in court filings Friday. “Lenders have made their own informed decisions.”

Engoron will weigh claims of conspiracy, insurance fraud and falsifying corporate documents. He has said he hopes to make a ruling by the end of this month.

He ruled on the lawsuit’s main claim before trial, ruling that Trump and other defendants had engaged in fraud for years.

The judge then ordered that a trustee take control of some of the ex-president’s properties, but an appeals court has temporarily frozen that order.

Here’s a look at James’ biggest accusations:

• Trump claimed his Trump Tower penthouse apartment was three times his size – and worth a whopping $327 million
• Trump valued Mar-a-Lago at almost ten times what it was worth: $739 million
• Trump valued his Park Avenue based on the market value of the units, although rents had stabilized and were worth much less, totaling $84.5 million.
• Trump valued his Seven Springs estate nearly ten times what it was valued at just a few years earlier, at a maximum of $291 million
• Trump listed the value of 40 Wall Street at over $300 million, which turned out to be worth $530 million
• Trump told Nevada tax authorities that the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Las Vegas was worth far less than what his financial statements showed: $108 million
• Trump did not factor in rising rental costs for his Niketown valuation of about $400 million
• Trump used ‘misleading techniques’ to list the value of his golf and social clubs
• Trump valued his Turnberry golf course under a fixed asset arrangement at $127 million even though it was operating at a loss

Trump has spoken out against his prosecution throughout the proceedings, including during his last courtroom visit last month.

He has used the trial to make regular television appearances to the media from the courtroom, and has seen his poll numbers rise against Republican opponents and President Joe Biden over the duration of the trial.

Last month, there was more prosecutorial action over the valuation of Trump’s penthouse apartment. Prosecutors say his company increased the value of the Trump Tower unit by $200 million.

Questioned by Kevin Sneddon, president of Trump International Realty, about how he arrived at the unit’s valuation. He said he got the information from former Trump Organization director Allen Weisselberg, who requested the information years ago to get an award.

‘I asked if I could see it. He said that wasn’t possible. I asked if there was a map or specifications. He said he didn’t have that information,” Sneddon testified. “He said, ‘It’s pretty big.’ I think it’s about 30,000 square feet.”