The trial of former President Donald Trump for alleged fraud in New York took an interesting turn on Friday as it was revealed that accounting expert Eli Bartov, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business, has racked up nearly $900,000 in fees for his testimony.
Bartov, who testified that he found “no evidence here of concealment” in his review of the financial statements at the center of the case, disclosed that he has worked about 650 hours on the case at a rate of $1,350 per hour.
According to ABC News, the prosecution’s sole expert witness, Michiel McCarty, chairman and chief executive at the investment bank MM Dillon & Co, was paid about $350,000 for his testimony.
Trump, his older sons, and executives at his company are charged with exaggerating the value of their assets in order to obtain more favorable loans. They deny the charges.
After Bartov’s testimony, Trump told reporters: “He found absolutely no fraud, accounting fraud of any kind. This is a highly respected man. I don’t know him, but he’s an expert witness.”
Trump is set to testify in the case for a second time on Monday, while Bartov will return to the stand on Tuesday. The case has been closely followed and has garnered significant media attention as it unfolds.