Former President Donald Trump’s Civil Fraud Trial: Defense Launches Case with Testimony from Donald Trump Jr.
Former President Donald Trump is currently embroiled in a civil fraud trial in New York, where he, his adult sons, and his business are accused of defrauding lenders and insurers to enrich themselves. Trump and his legal team launched their defense on Monday, calling the former president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., as their first witness in an effort to convince the judge that they did not intentionally commit any wrongdoing.
Trump Jr., who is also a defendant in the case, had previously testified earlier this month when called by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office, which filed the fraud lawsuit. Under oath, he denied any role in the preparation of his father’s financial statements and asserted that he consulted with lawyers and accountants before signing off on the statements as trustee of his father’s trust.
The defense’s strategy revolves around the argument that the financial statements were not misleading and that different people can have different values for the same property. They have also emphasized that there was no intent to defraud banks or insurers, as the Trump family relied on accountants, and no banks have claimed they were defrauded or misled by the financial statements.
In addition to Trump Jr., the defense team plans to recall Eric Trump and the former president himself as witnesses. By recalling the Trump family members, their answers can be more explanatory and not limited to “yes” or “no” responses that the attorney general’s office had tried to insist on.
The defense is set to call bankers to testify about the processes used in underwriting decisions and plans to bring in expert witnesses to testify about valuations and accounting. The trial is projected to be completed by December 15, as the Trumps continue to fight back against the allegations brought forth by the state attorney’s office.
Over six weeks, state attorneys introduced hundreds of pages of documents and called 25 witnesses, including members of the Trump family and former officials of the Trump Organization. The state is attempting to prove six other claims, including conspiracy, falsifying business records, issuing false financial statements, and insurance fraud. The attorney general’s office is seeking to collect millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains and to ban the Trumps from doing business in New York state.
The trial has gained national attention and continues to unfold as both sides present their cases in front of the judge and jury.