Trump expected to attend New York fraud trial again Thursday as testimony nears an end

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Donald Trump is anticipated to make a return to his New York civil business fraud trial this Thursday, as the trial’s testimony phase approaches its conclusion. The former President has played various roles in this trial, ranging from a frustrated observer to a confrontational witness and a vocal commentator outside the courtroom. Now, he is set to return, first as a spectator and subsequently as the star witness for his own defense.

After more than two months of testimony, it is expected that Trump will attend voluntarily as a spectator on Thursday. On that day, his legal team plans to have an accounting professor testify on financial matters crucial to the case. Following this, Trump himself is scheduled to take the stand for the second time on Monday.

Remarkably, amidst his campaign efforts to regain the presidency and his legal battles involving four criminal cases, Trump is devoting significant attention to this New York lawsuit. This case places his net worth under scrutiny, examines the real estate empire that initially established his reputation, and poses a potential impediment to his business dealings in his home state.

New York Attorney General Letitia James’s lawsuit alleges that Trump, his company, and certain executives provided banks and insurers with misleading financial statements that inflated the values of key assets like his Trump Tower penthouse and Mar-a-Lago. These statements were used to secure deals, including loans with favorable interest rates for wealthy individuals. Some loans required annual updates to these statements.

Trump vehemently denies any wrongdoing and argues that the numbers in the statements actually underestimated his wealth. He downplays the significance of these documents in securing deals, asserting that lenders and others should have conducted their own analyses. Furthermore, he contends that the case is a partisan abuse of power orchestrated by James and Judge Arthur Engoron, both of whom are Democrats.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump frequently criticizes the case, accusing it of being politically motivated. He portrays it as a battle against a corrupt Attorney General and Judge, while emphasizing that banks and insurance companies suffered no losses due to his financial statements.

Although Trump is not obligated to attend the trial when he is not testifying, his presence at the courthouse provides him with a platform, thanks to numerous news cameras in the hallway. He often stops to address the media, characterizing various developments as victories.

His comments outside the courtroom led to a $10,000 fine on October 26, when Judge Engoron found Trump in violation of a gag order prohibiting trial participants from making public comments about court staff. Trump’s legal team is currently appealing this gag order.

Letitia James has not remained silent in response to Trump’s remarks. She has attended court sessions on the days when he is present and has made her own statements on social media and at the courthouse steps. Her office has emphasized Trump’s alleged financial fraud and the consequences of breaking the law.

The trial itself is centered on claims of conspiracy, insurance fraud, and falsifying business records. Judge Engoron had previously ruled that Trump and other defendants engaged in fraud, and he ordered a receiver to take control of some of Trump’s properties. However, an appeals court has temporarily suspended that order.

In this trial, Letitia James is seeking penalties exceeding $300 million and a ban on Trump and other defendants from conducting business in New York. Although the exact timeline for the conclusion of testimony is not certain, it is expected to wrap up before Christmas, with closing arguments scheduled for January. Judge Engoron aims to render a decision by the end of that month.

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More about Trump’s New York Fraud Trial

• New York Times: Trump expected to attend New York fraud trial again Thursday
• CNN: Trump set to testify in New York civil fraud trial
• Reuters: Trump to return to New York trial as witness