(Xeeis) — Former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York has commenced, marking a significant clash between him and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The trial, occurring in a Manhattan courtroom, stems from a $250 million civil lawsuit filed by James against Trump, his children (Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric Trump), several Trump Organization executives, and the Trump Organization itself.
The suit alleges widespread fraud, including inflating Trump’s wealth and property values on financial statements.
The allegations encompass fraud, falsification of business records, issuing false financial statements, and conspiracy. James seeks monetary damages and sanctions to restrict the Trumps’ business activities in New York. Since this is a civil lawsuit, jail time is not a possibility.
Separately, Trump faces criminal charges filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, including 34 counts of felony falsification of business records, to which Trump has pleaded not guilty. In a previous criminal tax fraud case against the Trump Organization, Trump was not personally charged.
Trump has attended the trial for opening statements and expressed his intent to participate in at least the first day. The presiding judge is Arthur Engoron, who has held Trump in contempt previously and refused to delay the trial date. This bench trial, without a jury, will determine liability, damages, and penalties.
There is a possibility that Trump and his children may testify as they are on preliminary witness lists, but it is not guaranteed. New York state law typically prohibits cameras in courtrooms, and the judge denied media requests to televise or livestream the trial.
Before the trial, Judge Engoron ruled that Trump had overvalued properties and misrepresented his wealth while seeking bank loans. However, the trial will focus on other allegations, including falsification of business records, issuing false financial statements, insurance fraud, and conspiracy.
Trump has denied the fraud allegations, portraying them as an attempt to harm his reputation and interfere with his political future. He has criticized Judge Engoron and Attorney General James, even suing James in December 2021 to halt her investigation, a lawsuit that was later dismissed.
Letitia James, a Democrat, has served as New York attorney general since January 2019. She initiated the investigation in 2019 following testimony by Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, who claimed that Trump habitually lied about his wealth on various documents.
James has emphasized the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring equal treatment under it, regardless of a person’s wealth or power.
Trump’s legal team, led by attorney Christopher Kise, has defended Trump’s actions, arguing that what the attorney general calls overvaluations are actually expressions of Trump’s business acumen.
Judge Engoron, while not speaking publicly about the case, issued a scathing pretrial ruling that criticized the defendants’ conduct and arguments as unsubstantiated and disconnected from reality.