- Trump’s NY fraud trial concludes
- Damages to be determined
- Possible penalties and restrictions
Thursday marked the final day of Donald Trump’s fraud trial at the Manhattan Supreme Court, where he criticized the attorney general who filed the case.
Already, a judge has ruled that executives and members of the Trump family fraudulently inflated assets to obtain favorable loans.
However, the court will determine damages.
Judge Arthur Engoron of New York stated that he will render a conclusive written decision in the case by the conclusion of this month.
Stringent penalties may result, potentially jeopardizing the illustrious family’s legacy after its substantial investment in New York real estate.
Attorney General of New York Letitia James is seeking a £290 million ($370 million) penalty from the magistrate. Additionally, she seeks to proscribe Donald Trump from conducting business in New York once more, impose a five-year prohibition on Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and appoint an independent monitor to supervise their company for the following five years.
During their two-hour closing argument on Thursday, Mr. Trump’s attorneys attempted to discredit Ms. James’s case by arguing that the Trump family had not committed fraud.
The former president ultimately interjected as well.
In response to defense attorney Christopher Kise’s request for his client to speak, Mr. Trump accused the judge of committing “a fraud on me” during the trial.
Judge Engoron permitted Mr. Trump to continue speaking notwithstanding his defiance of the judge-imposed restrictions.
President Trump subsequently directed insults at both Judge Engoron and Ms. James.
Mr. Trump stated, “I am an innocent man who has been persecuted by an individual running for office,” prior to Judge Engoron instructing Mr. Kise to “regulate his client.”
Throughout the three-month trial, Mr. Trump has expressed comparable grievances, both in his courtroom testimony and in his address to reporters outside the courtroom. During the hearing on Thursday, he addressed the press on three separate occasions and reiterated comparable concerns.
At times, repetition seemed to function as a defensive strategy.
Mr. Kise restated a number of his previous claims, such as the case’s political motivation and the non-malicious nature of Mr. Trump’s real estate valuations towards banks and other entities.
He stated, “The marketplace operated as it ought to have in regards to Mr. Trump’s real estate transactions.”
Furthermore, he asserted that the ramifications of Judge Engoron’s decision would extend well beyond the Trump family.
He stated that this is not just about President Trump. Your actions, judge, have an effect on every business in New York.
Additionally, he reaffirmed prior statements made by Mr. Trump and his two children, Donald Jr. and Eric, in which they placed the blame on the accountants, whom they claimed were responsible for the preparation of financial statements. Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump, also testified earlier in the trial, despite the fact that she is no longer a defendant.
The opposing view of Ms. James’s group was that the Trumps were endeavoring to evade their obligations.
They contended in their closing arguments on Thursday that the responsibility for verifying the accuracy of financial statements rested equally with the Trump family and their accountants.
State attorney Andrew Amer asserted that to “maintain his net worth as high as possible,” Mr. Trump hired employees and accountants to fabricate numbers rather than committing the fraud himself.
Despite contradictory testimony, the prosecution presented numerous emails during the trial that suggested Trump family members were at least cognizant of Mr. Trump’s financial statements.
Legal Controversies Surrounding Trump
According to Ms. James, the documents and additional testimony presented throughout the 10-week trial “exposed the complete magnitude and breadth” of Mr. Trump’s fraudulent activities.
She stated, “I am certain that the facts and the rule of law are on our side and am pleased with the case we presented.”
In the preceding three months, a significant number of courtroom disputes have revolved around the New York judge. Mr. Trump’s legal team has leveled accusations that Judge Engoron and his law clerk harbor a bias against the former president.
Additionally, Mr. Trump insulted Judge Engoron’s clerk on social media, resulting in a $15,000 silence order.
On Thursday morning, prior to the start of proceedings, court officials informed reporters that Judge Engoron’s residence on Long Island, New York, had received a threat. The threat, according to local police who subsequently informed US media, was a “swatting incident”—a hoax call intended to dispatch law enforcement to a residence.
As the fraud trial draws to a close, numerous distinct criminal cases are intensifying against Mr. Trump, including two sets of charges concerning his purported efforts to annul the 2020 election.
The second lawsuit filed by author E. Jean Carroll is scheduled to commence this month as well.
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