Trump goes on the offensive against AG Letitia James and Judge Engoron on day 2 of Manhattan trial – Fox News
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Presiding Judge Arthur Engoron rejected former President Donald Trump’s request to delay a civil trial last week. James sued Trump, his children and the Trump Organization, alleging that Trump "inflated his net worth by billions of dollars" and said his children helped him to do so.
Covered by: Brooke Singman, Lawrence Richard, Ronn Blitzer, Danielle Wallace, Gabriele Regalbuto, Anders Hagstrom, Louis Casiano , Brandon Gillespie and Thomas Phippen
Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during the first deposition in August 2022. However, he answered questions during the 2nd deposition in April 2023.
Judge Arthur Engoron ruled last week that former President Trump and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork.
Trump’s legal spokeswoman Alina Habba said in a recent statement that the judge’s ruling is “fundamentally flawed at every level” and called the Trump Organization “an American success story.”
A New York Appeals Court narrowed state Attorney General Letitia James’ civil lawsuit against the Trump family in June, dismissing Ivanka Trump as a defendant and deciding that the statute of limitations would prevent her from suing for alleged fraud.
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incoming update…
Former President Donald Trump has departed the courthouse in lower Manhattan following the end of proceedings for the second day in his civil fraud trial.
It’s unclear if Trump will attend court tomorrow.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Judge Engoron has issued a gag order in the Trump civil fraud trial after Trump posted about the judge’s clerk, Allison Greenfield.
The now-deleted post included a photo of Greenfield with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., at a past event, which Trump references as “palling around.”
Engoron didn’t specifically name Trump, but said a defendant in the case “posted to a social media account a disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff.”
“Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable,” Engoron said. “Consider this statement a gag order forbidding all parties from posting emailing or speaking publicly about any of my staff.”
Former President Donald Trump has re-entered the New York courtroom for his civil fraud trial after a brief recess.
As he entered, he turned to the media cameras set up outside and said, “It was a very good day in court. Thank you very much.”
Trump has been in and out of the courtroom a handful of times throughout the second day of the trial.
Democrat New York Attorney General Letitia James also reentered the courtroom at the end of the recess.
Former President Donald Trump flashed a thumbs up to the cameras as he walked past them to return to the Manhattan courtroom where he is on trial for fraud charges Tuesday.
Trump and his lawyers walked in and out the courtroom several times after Judge Arthur Engoron called a lunch recess. Proceedings the set to pick up again at 2:15 Eastern Time.
Trump’s brief interaction with reporters coincided with news that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy may lose his speakership in a House vote. Trump made no indication that he was reacting to the news, however.
Trump supported McCarthy’s bid for the speakership earlier this year and called on Republicans to support him.
Judge Arthur Engoron appeared to chide former President Donald Trump’s defense attorneys for repeatedly making objctions on Tuesday.
The incident came when Engoron allowed New York Attorney General Letitia James’ prosectors to admit a document that was beyond the statute of limitations for Trump’s fraud trial. The statute of limitations in this instance means Trump cannot be convicted of fraud that may have taken place before 2015.
Prosecutors have nevertheless introduced evidence dating back to 2011. Engoron has allowed them to do so on the condition that they demonstrate it is relevant to an alleged fraud incident within the statute of limitations.
While Engoron has made his stance clear, Trump’s attorneys have chosen to obeject each time prosecutors introduce such a document. They rebuffed Engoron’s remark on the objections as well, telling him they will continue the practice.
Engoron declared a lunch recess until 2:15 p.m. soon after the exchange.
Former President Donald Trump declared that his trial is a “scam” as he re-entered the courtroom on his second day litigating the case.
Former President Donald Trump declared that his trial is a “scam” as he re-entered the courtroom on his second day litigating the case.
Trump made the comment to reporters as the first recess of the day ended. New York Attorney General Letitia James has charged Trump with fraudulently overvaluing his assets during business negotiations.
Trump’s defense team argues that the Trump organization repeatedly urged partners to conduct their own value assessments of Trump’s properties, however. They have also stated that there are no victims of Trump’s alleged fraud.
“They were paid, made money, there was no fraud. They are all happy. In many pages it says, you must understand, you must do your due diligence. Do not rely on anything,” Trump said. “This case is a scam. There can’t be fraud when you tell institutions to do their own work.”
Trump is likely to comment further on the case later when Engoron declares a second recess.
Donald Trump left the courtroom without talking to reporters during the first recess of day 2 of his trial.
Former President Donald Trump brushed past members of the press without stopping to talk as he exited the courtroom for recess on the second day of his fraud trial.
Trump was seen exiting the room followed by his attorney, Alina Habba. New York Attorney General Letitia James and her entourage remained inside the courtroom, however.
Day two of Trump’s fraud trial has centered on the testimony of businessman Donald Bender, who focused on financial records dating back to 2011, which fell outside of the statute of limitations.
Judge Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over the non-jury civil trial, said the questioning was a “waste of time” unless James’ office could tie it back to something within the statute of limitations–something James’ office promised to do Tuesday.
Trump’s defense team has objected to prosecutors entering evidence from prior to 2015 due to the statute of limitations. Engoron has said he will continue to allow that evidence to be presented so long as it can be connected to something within the limitations.
Critics say Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling that former President Donald Trump deceived banks and insurers could endanger the Empire State’s status as a business capital.h
Former Bush Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo said on FOX News Monday that the case could also put Trump “out of business” in the city most synonymous with his real estate empire.
Engoron, a Democrat, ruled prior to Monday’s court date that Trump overvalued assets and exaggerated his net worth, in response to a civil suit by New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James.
Yoo noted that people like Engoron and James, whose roles are established to be more legal than political, are elected partisan offices, and Engoron’s district – which comprises Manhattan – houses mostly Democrats.
“But what people should ask is are what they’re doing in the best interests of the people of the state? Is it a good idea for the state of New York, on behalf of its people, to use its vast law enforcement powers to go after and single out President Trump for things where nobody is claiming they were harmed? No one claims they were actually defrauded,” Yoo said on “America Reports,” adding that no banks appear to claim damages against the former president.
Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Former President Donald Trump arrived at the Manhattan courthouse to face the second day of his trial on fraud charges leveled by New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday.
Trump stood outside the courtroom and spoke briefly with reporters before entering. He reiterated his claim that Judge Arthur Engoron handed down an earlier fraud ruling based on false information from James. He called for Engoron to reverse his previous decision, saying that no fraud had taken place and there were no victims of any crime.
He also accused James of political bias against him, referencing her tone on the 2018 campaign trail. She opened an investigation into Trump soon after being elected in 2019.
“She ran on the basis of ‘I’m going to get Trump,'” he said.
Trump will remain at the Manhattan courthouse throughout the day, and he will likely emerge to make further comments during cour recesses.
Members of former President Donald Trump’s legal team have begun arriving to the Manhattan courthouse where he will face his second day on trial.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers strolled past packed media cameras in the lobby of the courthouse. They are scheduled to begin arguing before presiding Judge Arthur Engoron at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.
police officers could be seen blocking members of the media from accessing the courtroom itself.
Trump and his attorneys have repeatedly attacked New York Attorney General Leititia James for leveling charges against him. They argue she has targeted Trump for political reasons, citing her promises on the campaign trail in 2018 that she would “get Trump” if elected.
Trump has also labeled Engoron a “Democrat” and an “operative.”
Former President Donald Trump said New York Attorney General Letitia James is targeting him with a “rarely used” and “very unfair” law in an attempt to convict him of fraud on Tuesday.
Trump made the claim on his Truth Social account barely an hour before he was scheduled to appear for the second day of his fraud trial in Manhattan. He argues that the law in question allows defendants to be convicted of fraud even if there was no discernable victim of their crime.
“The rarely used Executive Law that the N.Y.A.G. is proceeding under is VERY UNFAIR, and being used against me for that reason. NY Executive Law 63 (12) does not require a victim, traditional elements of fraud are eliminated (the only such law!), the law allows a politically elected partisan prosecutor to convince a politically elected judge, who may be friends, to destroy even a Political Opponent. This law may not be Constitutional and is not FAIR, and that is why terrible A.G. James chose it to use against me!!!” Trump wrote.
The post is only the latest salvo Trump has launched against James and Judge Arthur Engoron, both of whom he has denounced as biased partisans and political opponents.
The ongoing fraud trial against Donald Trump in Manhattan is only the latest “witch hunt” against the former president, Fox News host Sean Hannity says.
Hannity blasted NY Attorney General Letitia James and her team of prosecutors after the first day of the trial concluded on Monday.
“The United States – our justice system – is supposed to investigate crimes, not target people. Those days seem to be long gone. That is a travesty for this country. You might as well take the Constitution and shred it. We don’t have equal justice in application of our laws. Donald Trump has been targeted in a series of cases, starting with the Trump-Russia hoax that we debunked here on this show, and everybody else in the media mob was lying about and peddling conspiracy theories about and by the way, you got all these, you know, for indictment, state, federal level, all perfectly timed. Amazing,” Hannity said.
“They could have done it much earlier, but no, let’s bring it up in the middle of an election season and let’s put them on trial in 2024 and frankly, interfere and disrupt the presidential election. Now, this has never, ever, ever, not once in history, ever happened to this country that a former president had been indicted once, never mind four times,” he added.
Trump is scheduled to return to the Manhattan courthouse for day two of his trial later Tuesday.
The image of former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud case looks like New York is trying to keep Trump in the courtroom instead of on the campaign trail, says FOX News contributor Jonathan Turley.
Turley said the factors that look good for him are that New York Attorney General Letitia James ran on “bagging Trump,” something Trump’s defense team has repeatedly highlighted.
“the optics here are really good for Trump and he knows it. And even the image of his being brought into yet another New York courtroom leaves this impression of prosecutors daisy-chaining cases to keep him in court rather than being on the campaign trail,” Turley said.
Trump is scheduled to appear for day two of his trial later Tuesday. His defense team has already raised complaints that they have been blocked from requesting a jury trial.
It is unclear how long Trump will keep attending the daily courtroom dramas, however, as the proceedings are likely to drag on.
Donald Trump speaks at the Manhattan courthouse.
Former President Donald Trump targeted New York Attorney General Letitia James with an online rant just hours before he is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan courtroom for the second day of his fraud trial.
Trump argued that James had provided “false and ridiculous” information to Judge Engoron indicating that the former president’s net worth was far lower than it actually is. He called on Engoron to “terminate” his initial ruling of fraud.
“Now that it has been agreed in Court that Mar-a-Lago is WORTH 50 to 100 times the Value the Racist & Incompetent Attorney General of New York State, Letitia “Peekaboo” James, ascribed to it (18 Million Dollars), & likewise other assets that were valued crazily low by this “Monster” that has allowed Violent Crime in New York to reach EPIDEMIC levels, and dangerous illegal migrants to roam free all over our State, we hope the Judge will TERMINATE his first ruling of fraud in that he was given false and ridiculous information by the Trump Deranged Lunatic, A.G. James. In actuality, I am WORTH FAR MORE than the numbers put down on the Financial Statements, not less. In addition, there is a far reaching and professionally drawn Disclaimer Clause boldly stated on the FIRST PAGE OF THE DOCUMENT. This entire case should be thrown out and dismissed. The A.G. should be reprimanded and sanctioned for bringing this case with its FAKE LOW VALUES, in order to make me look bad. Election Interference!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The court is expected to reconvene Tuesday with James’ office tying testimony from its first witness, Donald Bender of accounting firm Mazars USA LLP, to its overall case. Bender’s testimony focused on financial records dating back to 2011, which fell outside of the statute of limitations.
Engoron said the questioning was a “waste of time” unless James’ office could tie it back to something within the statute of limitations–something James’ office promised to do Tuesday.
Staffers for former President Donald Trump were seen arriving to the Manhattan courthouse where Trump is on trial with a gargantuan McDonald’s order on Monday.
The food order for Trump’s legal team was too large for one staffer to carry, with the pair lugging at least six large bags from the Golden Arches into the courthouse. Trump’s famous order from McDonald’s is a Big Mac, Filet-o-Fish, fries and a vanilla shake.
Trump is poised to return to the courthouse for a second day of proceedings later Tuesday, though it is unclear whether he will have the same cravings for lunch.
Former President Donald Trump says his team was prevented from getting a jury trial
Former President Donald Trump’s team is complaining that they cannot have a trial by jury in the ongoing fraud case against Trump in New York City.
A spokesperson for Trump tells Fox News Digital that Attorney Generl Letitia James prevented Trump’s team from requesting a jury trial via the nature of the charges against him.
“The Attorney General filed this case under a consumer protection statute that denies the right to a jury. There was never an option to choose a jury trial. It is unfortunate that a jury won’t be able to hear how absurd the merits of this case are and conclude no wrongdoing ever happened,” the spokesperson said.
Trump attorney Alina Habba complained Tuesday mornign about reports in the media that Trump’s team had not requested a jury trial. Some commentators had alleged that Habba and Trump’s other attorneys had simply forgotten to :”check a box” requesting such a trial.
“They brought this under a consumer fraud statute. It has never been used in this way for a reason, because this judge who oversaw the special proceeding has given them everything they wanted, effectively for years. They wanted to keep it in this division as opposed to the commercial division where we would have had a normal judge. So no, everyone, I didn’t forget to check a box,” Habba told Fox & Friends on Tuesday morning.
Trump attorney Alina Habba declared the first day of former President Donald Trump’s fraud trial a success as she and her team prepared for day 2 on Tuesday morning.
Habba appeared on Fox & Friends to summarize the first day of proceedings, saying Judge Engoron had dismissed roughly 80% of the case against Trump due to the statute of limitations.
Habba said acknowedling the expiration of the statute of limitations was a “step in the right direction” for Engoron, who Trump has blasted as a “Democrat” and an “operative.”
Habba went on to say that prosecutors in the case are seeking to give Trump the “corporate death penalty,” a punishment that would prevent the former president from conducting business in new york. That result would essentially dissolve the Trump Organization.
Conservatives are lashing out against Judge Arthur Engoron for grinning and posing for photos in the courtroom as former President Donald Trump defends himself against fraud charges.
Engoron could be seen with a wide smile on his face as the first day of proceedings got underway on Monday. Conservatives on social media immediately reacted with outrage, with one observer denouncing him as a “partisan Democrat clown.”
“Just smiling and laughing as they turn our country into a third world banana republic,” State Freedom Caucus Network Comms Director Greg Price posted on X.
“Democracy disappearing right before our eyes…,” Trump adviser Stephen Miller wrote in response to Price’s post.
The former president dismissed Engoron as a “Democrat” and an “operative” in a brief appearance in front of reporters. Trump stated that “this is a rigged court” in his heated statement. He also took aim at Attorney General Letitia James, labeling her a “radical-left attorney general.”
Read more here on Judge Engoron’s behavior in the courtroom.
Donald Trump is expected to carry on his outraged tone into Tuesday’s proceedings. He left the courtroom multiple times Monday to complain to reporters outside that both Judge Engoron and James are politically biased.
The civil trial against former President Donald Trump, his family and his business empire will continue Tuesday with more witness testimony as New York Attorney General Letitia James seeks to make her case that the Trump Organization overvalued its assets.
Trump attended the first day of the trial Monday and is expected to return Tuesday.
The court is expected to reconvene with James’ office tying testimony from its first witness, Donald Bender of accounting firm Mazars USA LLP, to its overall case. Bender’s testimony focused on financial records dating back to 2011, which fell outside of the statute of limitations.
Judge Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over the non-jury civil trial, said the questioning was a “waste of time” unless James’ office could tie it back to something within the statute of limitations–something James’ office promised to do Tuesday.
Trump is expected to carry on his outraged tone into Tuesday’s proceedings. He left the courtroom multiple times Monday to complain to reporters outside that both Judge Engoron and James are politically biased.
Read more here on how Tuesday’s proceedings are expected to play out.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany blasted New York Attorney General Letitia James as “politically motivated” during a Monday appearance on Fox News.
McEnany commented on former President Donald Trump’s first day in a Manhattan courtroom on trial for fraud charges leveled by James.
McEnany highlighted a lack of other cases similar to Trump’s in New York, arguing that Trump’s last name is the true reason for his coming under fire.
FIRST ON FOX: Former President Trump is expected to return to court tomorrow for the second day of the Trump Organization trial in lower Manhattan, a source confirmed to Fox News Digital on Monday.
The first day of court saw Trump rage against Judge Arthur Engoron during a lunch recess, dismissing him as a “Democrat” and an “operative” in a brief appearance in front of reporters.
Trump stated that “this is a rigged court” in his heated statement. He also took aim at Attorney General Letitia James, labelling her a “radical-left attorney general.”
Former President Donald Trump left the New York courtroom at the end of Monday’s proceedings praising Judge Arthur Engoron for what he called an “outstanding” last five minutes that, according to Trump, fell in his favor.
“That last five minutes was outstanding because the judge essentially conceded that they statute of limitations that we won at the court of appeals is in effect. Therefore, about 80% of the case is over,” Trump told reporters after exiting the court.
He said it was “unfair” there wasn’t a jury to decide the case, but continued praising the judge’s statement he referenced.
“The way I interpret that, and the way the room seems to interpret that is that the statute of limitations is a very real thing in this country. And about 80% of this case would be over,” he said.
It wasn’t immediately clear what Engoron’s statement entailed, but one of Trump’s lawyers said the statement appeared to mean the judge was “agreeing that all the transactions enclosed prior to 2014 are now out of the case.”
Trump went on to say he “did nothing wrong,” and blasted that he was spending time at the courthouse rather than campaigning.
Bender testified that he frequently interacted with Jeffrey McConney, controller for the Trump Organization, to prepare statements of financial conditions, which he said are what one would call a balance sheet.
The information would be put into an engagement binder, he said. McConney or a member of his team would send an early draft of the statement and send back-up schedules to cross reference to make sure numbers were correct, said Bender.
Bender said he had to make sure the numbers on the statement they sent would match the numbers going into a spreadsheet. During his testimony, he was shown an engagement letter for financial conditions for Trump for 2011 signed by Allen Weisselberg, who was the chief financial officer for the Trump Organization at the time.
In January, Weisselberg was sentenced to five months in prison for tax crimes.
Bender testified he didn’t take any measures to ensure the information provided was true. He only raised an issue if something glaring stood out, he said.
The Trump Organization was responsible for meeting generally accepted accounting procedures, he said. Bender answered “yes” when asked if there were GAAP exceptions in multiple instances between 2011-2020.
He said the Trump organization made the decision for a GAAP exception each time.
The New York Attorney General’s office called its first witness once court resumed for the afternoon session after a lunch break.
Donald Bender, from the accounting firm, Mazars USA LLP, spent several years preparing Trump’s tax returns. Bender testified last year that Trump’s reported losses for 2009 and 2010 totaled around $900 million.
Former President Donald Trump raged against Judge Arthur Engoron during a lunch recess on the first day of his fraud trial in Manhattan on Monday.
Trump dismissed Engoron as a “Democrat” and an “operative” in a brief appearance in front of reporters. Trump stated that “this is a rigged court” in his heated statement. He also took aim at Attorney General Letitia James, labelling her a “radical-left attorney general.”
“This rogue judge refuses to acknowledge that we won 80% of this case in the appelate division,” Trump said, claiming Engoron has “contempt for his own court system.”
“The judge is wrong. The judge is wrong in his ruling,” Trump said. “He said Mar-a-Lago is worth 18 million. It’s worth at least a billion, maybe $1.5 billion.”
Trump’s lawyers had previously pointed to James’ promises to voters that she would “get Trump” if elected.
Trump attorney Alina Habba highlighted that James began investigating Trump soon after she gained office in 2019, and that she promised voters during her campaign that she would “get Trump” if elected.
Lawyers for President Donald Trump argued that New York Attorney General Letitia James harbors bias against the former president in court on Monday.
Trump attorney Alina Habba highlighted that James began investigating Trump soon after she gained office in 2019, and that she promised voters during her campaign that she would “get Trump” if elected.
She went on to state that the Trump Organization’s valuations of its own property were not fraudulent.
“The state of [Trump’s] financial condition was undervalued,” she stated.
Habba continued by saying that prosecutors would have Judge Arthur Engoron believe that if you listed your house at once price but it sold for a lower one, then you committed fraud.
Trump’s defense team argued that Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida home, would sell for “at least” $1. billion, orders of magnitude above Judge Engoron’s valuation of $18 million.
Trump himself spoke to reporters outside the courtroom shortly after Habba’s statemnet. He argued that he has been “defrauded” by Engoron’s low valuation.
“We’re wasting time with this trial. It’s a disgrace,” Trump said. “The judge already made up his mind. He’s a democrat. He’s an operative.”
Donald Trump’s defense team made their opening statement minutes after prosecutors on Monday.
Former President Donald trump’s defense team made their opening statement before Judge Arthur Engoron in Manhattan on Monday, minutes after prosecutors laid out their own case.
Trump attorney Christopher Kise declared that Trump’s financial statements contained no false entries, and that prosecutors were relying on a the word of a known liar, Michael Cohen, to establish wrongdoing. Kise reiterated statements from Trump himself that there were “no victims” in the alleged fraud as well.
Meanwhile, prosecutors asserted that Trump and his associates knowlingly submitted false financial statements, pointing to testimony from Cohan.
The prosecution played a clip of Cohen stating that Trump would regularly task him and other lawyers with inflating his net worth, even if only to raise his placement on the Forbes wealth list. Cohen went on to testify that he witnesses this behavior on a regular basis from 2011 to 2015.
Former President Donald Trump (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The former president was deposed in Manhattan in April 2023. Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during his first deposition in August 2022. He has denied any wrongdoing and has said the investigation is politically motivated and a “witch hunt.”
New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into Former President Donald Trump began in 2019 when she took office.
Trump’s deposition in New York City in April came a week after his unprecedented arraignment in a court in lower Manhattan. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in New York.
The charges, which are related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign, came out of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s years-long investigation.
Bragg alleged that Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”
Trump has slammed Bragg’s investigation and the indictment as “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.”
Former President Donald Trump appeared in court before presiding Judge Arthur Engoron on Monday.
Trump bashed Engoron as a “rogue judge” before entering the court room. Trump entered the building with his entourage of lawyers Monday morning just minutes after New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The trial is a non-jury trial, meaning Engoron will decide the result himself. A New York State Appeals Court rejected the 2024 GOP primary frontrunner’s request to delay the civil trial.
Engoron last week ruled that Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud while building his real estate empire by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.
Engoron’s ruling comes after James sued Trump, his children and the Trump Organization, alleging that Trump “inflated his net worth by billions of dollars” and said his children helped him to do so.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
NY AG Letitia James (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
On September 21, 2022, after AG Letitia James filed a lawsuit against Trump and several of his family members, as well as associates and businesses, James said at a news conference:
“Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization repeatedly and persistently manipulated the value of assets to induce banks to lend money to the Trump Organization on more favorable terms than would otherwise have been available to the company to pay lower taxes, to satisfy continuing loan agreements, and to induce insurance companies to provide insurance coverage for higher limits and at lower premiums.”
James said that over the course of her office’s years-long investigation, they interviewed 65 witnesses and reviewed millions of documents. She said the evidence showed that Trump submitted “more than 200 false and misleading asset valuations.”
The misrepresentations included stating that Trump had cash on hand that he did not have and ignoring restrictions that would impact property values, James said.
“Claiming you have money that you do not have does not amount to the art of the deal, It’s the art of the steal,” James said, referencing the title of Trump’s 1987 book.
New York Attorney General Letitia James declared that “justice will rpevail” as she entered the courthouse where former President Donald Trump is facing fraud charges on Monday.
James arrived with her legal entourage Monday morning and briefly spoke in front of the media. She accused Trump of fraudulently inflating the value of his businesses and his net worth and stated that “no one is above the law.”
Trump himself arrived to the courthouse soon after James. The case is one of four indictments he is currently facing. Authorities have also leveled separate charges out of Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C.
He is the first U.S. president to face a federal criminal indictment.
Donald Trump speaks with reporters while entering a Manhattan court room.
Former President Donald Trump arrived to the Manhattan courthouse for the first day of his trial on fraud charges on Monday.
Footage shows the 2024 presidential candidate arriving with his Secret Service entourage. Trump faces charges leveled by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who began investigating him in 2019.
He blasted James as a “racist attorney general” during brief remarks in front of the media. He went on to claim that the criminal case was an attack on his 2024 presidential campaign.
“It’s an attempt to hurt me in an election,” Trump said. “It’s never happened before.”
Trump’s lawyers will argue before Judge Arther Engoron, who Trump labeled a “rogue judge” on Monday. It is unclear how long the trial will last.
Donald Trump (AP Photo/José Luis Villegas, Pool, File)
Judge Arthur Engoron ruled in late September that Former President Donald Trump and his company committed fraud while building his real estate empire after New York Attorney General Letitia James accused the former president of overvaluing his assets.
Engoron ruled that Trump deceived banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth.
James alleged that Trump “inflated his net worth by billions of dollars” and said his children helped him to do so.
A New York State Appeals Court rejected Trump’s request to delay the civil trial.
Engoron ordered that some of Trump’s business licenses be rescinded as punishment, making it difficult or impossible for them to do business in New York. The judge said he would continue to have an independent monitor oversee the Trump Organization’s operations.
The ruling comes out of James’ lawsuit in which she alleged that Trump “inflated his net worth by billions of dollars” and said his children helped him to do so.
Donald Trump withdrew a second lawsuit in January against New York Attorney General Letitia James related to her investigation into his and his family’s business dealings.
Trump sued James in December 2021 in an attempt to block her from investigating him and his businesses.
Trump’s lawyers and James’ office agreed January 25, 2023 to a stipulation ending an appeal that had sought to reverse a judge’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit.
Trump voluntarily dismissed that lawsuit after a federal judge in Florida, Donald M. Middlebrooks, accused him of a “pattern of abuse of the courts” for filing frivolous lawsuits for political purposes, including what he said was a bogus lawsuit against Trump’s 2016 rival Hillary Clinton and others.
Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, said the appeal in Manhattan federal court “was voluntarily withdrawn for strategic purposes,” according to The Associated Press.
“I am pleased that Donald Trump has withdrawn both of his pending actions against my office,” James said in a statement on the same day. “As we have shown all along, we have a legitimate legal case against him and his organization, and we cannot be bullied or dissuaded from pursuing it.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James released a statement marking the first day of her trial agaisnt former President Donald Trump.
New York Attorney General Letitia James released a statement marking the first day of her trial agaisnt former President Donald Trump on Monday.
Trump will appear before Judge Arthur Engoron in Manhattan on Monday. He faces charges of fraud relating to his business dealings.
“For years, Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth to enrich himself and cheat the system. We won the foundation of our case last week and proved that his purported net worth has long been rooted in incredible fraud. In this country, there are consequences for this type of persistent fraud, and we look forward to demonstrating the full extent of his fraud and illegality during trial” James wrote in a statement.
“No matter how rich or powerful you are, there are not two sets of laws for people in this country. The rule of law must apply equally to everyone, and it is my responsibility to make sure that it does,” she added.
James began investigating Trump’s business practices in 2019 soon after she was elected. Her charges represent one of four indictments the former president is facing, stemming out of New York, Florida, Washington, D.C. and Georgia.
Donald Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump (Ivanka Trump)
A New York Appeals Court narrowed Letitia James’ civil lawsuit against the Trump family in late June. Ivanka Trump was dismissed as a defendant and decided that the statute of limitations would prevent the eldest daughter of Former President Donald Trump from suing for alleged fraud.
The Appellate Division in Manhattan decided that James can no longer sue for alleged transactions that occurred before July 13, 2014 or Feb. 6, 2016.
“The Appellate Division decision today represents the first step towards ending a case that should have never been filed,” a Trump spokesperson told Fox News Digital of the June 27, 2023 ruling. “The correct application of the law will now limit appropriately the previously unlimited reach of the Attorney General.”
The Trump spokesperson added: “Going forward, we remain confident that once all the real facts are known, there will be no doubt President Trump has built an extraordinarily successful business empire and has simple done nothing other than generate tremendous profits for those financial institutions involved in the transactions at issue in the litigation.”
Former President Donald Trump lashed out against Judge Arthur Engoron on Social Media late Sunday night, claiming the judge was intentionally underestimating Trump’s net worth.
“Judge Engoron’s Valuation of Mar-a-Lago, the most spectacular property in Palm Beach, Florida, IS FRAUDULENT! He states a value of 18 Million Dollars, knowing full well that it is worth, perhaps, 50 to 100 times that amount. Engoron is working diligently to misrepresent me, and my net worth, which is substantially MORE than is shown on my fully “disclaimed” Financial Statements. I have not even included my most valuable asset – BRAND!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“He should resign from the “Bench” and be sanctioned by the Courts for his abuse of power, and his intentional and criminal interference with the Presidential Election of 2024, of which I am leading all candidates, both Republican & Democrat, by significant margins. Likewise, Letitia James should resign for purposeful and criminal Election Interference. She is fully aware that Mar-a-Lago, and other assets, are worth much more than what she is claiming. Both of these Democrat Operatives are a disgrace to New York, and to the United States of America!” Trump continued.
Trump said in August 2022 that he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights, per the advice of his attorneys, during his deposition as part of James’ civil investigation, calling it an “unfounded politically motivated Witch Hunt” and adding that he had “no choice” due to the Biden administration and prosecutors across the nation having “lost all moral and ethical bounds of decency.”
In a statement on August 10, 2022, Trump said: “What Letitia James has tried to do the last three years is a disgrace to the legal system, an affront to New York State taxpayers, and a violation of the solemn rights and protections afforded by the United States Constitution.”
“I did nothing wrong, which is why, after five years of looking, the Federal, State and local governments, together with the Fake News Media, have found nothing,” Trump said. “We cannot permit a renegade and out-of-control prosecutor to use this investigation as a means of advancing her political career. New York deserves better, and this Country deserves better. This is a vindictive and self-serving fishing expedition, the likes of which our Country has never seen before.”
“The United States Constitution exists for this very purpose, and I will utilize it to the fullest extent to defend myself against this malicious attack by this administration, this Attorney General’s Office, and all other attacks on my family, my business, and our Country,” Trump said.
An Appeals Court rejected Trump’s request to delay the non-jury civil trial, presided over by Judge Arthur Engoron. The beginning of the trial is scheduled for Monday in Manhattan.
The former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner is listed among dozens of possible witnesses. The first deposition took place in August 2022, but Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment rights. He was deposed again in April as part of the lawsuit and answered questions during that deposition.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has said the investigation was politically motivated and a “witch hunt.” He has argued that his assets are worth far more than what is listed on annual financial statements, and argued the statements have disclaimers.
“I have been unfairly sued by the Trump Hating Democrat Attorney General of New York State, Letitia James, over the false fact that I inflated my Financial Statements in order to borrow money from Banks, etc. The Judge in the case, Arthur F. Engoron, refused to allow this case to go to the ‘Commercial Division,’ where it belongs, because he is a Trump Hater beyond even A.G James who campaigned against me spewing horrible inflammatory statements which are False & Defamatory,” Trump posted Tuesday on his Truth Social after Engoron’s ruling. “I am not even allowed a Jury!”
Trump went on to say the “facts of this case are simple.”
Donald Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Alina Habba, former President Trump’s attorney, is currently the Managing Partner of Habba Madaio & Associates LLP based out of Bedminster, New Jersey.
Habba is licensed to practice in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, the United States District Court for the Districts of the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the Supreme Court of the United States, according to her website.
Trump’s spokeswoman’s website also reads, “Alina has experience in many areas of litigation including, but not limited to, corporate litigation and formation, commercial real estate (transactional and litigation), family law, the financial services industry and construction-related matters.”
She has previously called the indictments against Trump a “ploy” and “election interference.” Furthermore, during a July appearance on “Fox News Sunday” with Shannon Bream, Habba said, “He is the most ethical American I know” with regard to Former President Trump.
On “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo,’ Habba accused Democrats of using indictments as distractions ahead of the next election saying, “They’re afraid” and “It’s not gonna work.”
“There were no victims!” Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform in late September after Judge Arthur Engoron rejected his request to delay the trial. “On the front page of the financial statements there is a strong ‘disclaimer clause’ telling all not to rely on these financial statements.”
Trump said the disclaimer clause “tells anyone reviewing the data, including financial institutions, to do their own research and analysis —it is a non-reliance clause, and could not be more clear.”
“Additionally to my being worth far more than is shown in the ‘fully disclaimed’ financial statements, again, not putting down a value for my biggest asset, brand, the company has hundreds of millions of dollars in cash, and very little debt,” Trump said. “It is a great company that has been slandered and maligned by this politically motivated Witch Hunt.”
He added: “It is very unfair, and I call for help from the highest Courts in New York State, or the Federal System, to intercede. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!”
New York Attorney General Letitia James (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Trump filed a lawsuit in Florida on November 2, 2022 against Letitia James, whom he called “crooked and highly partisan” and claims is abusing her position to “recklessly injure” him, his family, and his business. He also claimed she was attributing to a “war of intimidation and harassment.”
“Today, I filed a lawsuit in Florida State Circuit Court against the corrupt Attorney General of New York State, Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James,” Trump wrote in an email to his supporters back in November 2022.
In the statement, Trump added: “Crooked and highly partisan James now thinks it is the business of the state of New York to go after my revocable trust and pry into my private estate plan, only to look for ways to recklessly injure me, my family, my businesses, and my tens of millions of supporters.”
The former president used similar language in the lawsuit, in which he alleged James was pursuing “a relentless, pernicious, public, and unapologetic crusade” against him “with the stated goal of destroying him personally, financially, and politically.”
Attorney Chris Kise joined former President Donald Trump’s legal team.
Former Florida Solicitor General Christopher Kise joined Former President Donald Trump’s legal team in August 2022.
“Chris has successfully argued four cases before the United States Supreme Court and filed briefs in more than a dozen cases before the high court,” his law firm’s biography says. “He has also handled and been involved in dozens of cases before the Florida Supreme Court, and in state and federal appellate courts across the country.”
Kise’s trial and appellate litigation practice “extends throughout the United States, representing individuals, private and public corporations, and government entities,” the bio continues.
“Well, I mean, the president is resolved, he’s resilient, he’s really ready to fight these charges” Kise said on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime’ in early April.
Kise is representing Trump on multiple cases and spoke with Watters following special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of Trump alleging improper storage of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home, saying, “I think he’s very disappointed for our country.”
Donald Trump and Letitia James, side-by-side photo (AP)
New York Attorney General Letitia James made history when she won in 2018 and took office in January 2019 as the first Black woman elected to statewide office, the state’s first Black attorney general and the first woman elected to the post.
She successfully secured a second term in 2022 when she beat Republican Michael Henry.
James began investigating Former President Donald Trump almost immediately when she first took office in 2019. When Trump was serving as Commander in Chief, James sued his administration dozens of times. She has previously regarded Trump a “con man,” ″carnival barker” and “fear monger.”
In November 2022, Trump sued James and claimed she was abusing her position.
“Today, I filed a lawsuit in Florida State Circuit Court against the corrupt Attorney General of New York State, Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James,” Trump wrote in an email to his supporters.
In the statement, Trump added: “Crooked and highly partisan James now thinks it is the business of the state of New York to go after my revocable trust and pry into my private estate plan, only to look for ways to recklessly injure me, my family, my businesses, and my tens of millions of supporters.”
Eric Trump in New Jersey (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Eric Trump previously reacted to his father’s New York City indictment in a March interview with Sean Hannity where he exhausted that people like Alvin Bragg and Letitia James campaign on the promise to ‘take down a person’.
“You have Letitia James who’s out there, ‘I’m gonna go after his family, I’m gonna sue the hell out of the man,'” Eric said. “I mean, this is, these people are evil. They’re wicked.”
Eric, who serves as the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, was questioned by James’ office in October 2020. A judge forced him to testify after his lawyers abruptly canceled a previously scheduled deposition, according to The Associated Press.
James issued subpoenas in January 2022 for Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka in connection with the civil investigation into the family’s business practices.
James said at a news conference in September 2022 after she filed the lawsuit in New York Supreme Court that Trump “inflated his net worth by billions of dollars” and that his children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric, helped him.
Ivanka was dismissed as a defendant in late June.
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