Donald Trump may return to a Lower Manhattan courtroom next week to face his former personal lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen, who is expected to testify in the $250 million fraud case against the former president, sources said Thursday.
Trump, 77, attended a three-day hearing last week as New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case against him began.
A source with knowledge of the proceedings told The Post that the former president may appear in Manhattan Supreme Court again next week.
Trump does not have to appear because he will be in a criminal trial — as he faces in a separate case next year.
The 45th president may come for several days starting on Tuesday, sources told ABC News, the same day Cohen is scheduled to testify.
Meanwhile, the eighth day of Thursday’s trial featured more testimony from retired Deutsche Bank risk manager Nicholas Haigh, who confirmed under questioning from Trump lawyer Clifford Robert that the $378 million the bank loaned the Trump Organization was a good credit decision , the outlet reported.
While Haigh was being cross-examined, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social, posting a photo of the etched glass trophy of the Old Post Office building in Washington, DC — which he developed into the Trump International Hotel — given to him by the Bank.
Donald Trump may reappear in a Manhattan court for a hearing in a $250 million civil fraud case against him.AP
“This trophy was given to me by Deutsche Bank because they are very proud of the Loans they make,” he wrote. “They have the best Lawyers, the smartest Loan Officers, and are excited to do business with ‘TRUMP.’”
The post later said that he paid back his loan in full ahead of schedule and never missed a payment.
At one point when Trump lawyer Jesus Suarez questioned Haigh, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron snapped, “We can all read,” the outlet reported.
The days the former president is expected to come to court are when Michael Cohen is expected to testify against him.REUTERS
Suarez has painstakingly pored over credit reports for Trump’s loans with banks year after year.
Engoron called the question “redundant” and “obvious.”
“I don’t know why we spend so much time on this,” the judge said.
After Haigh’s testimony concluded, former Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg — who took the witness stand Tuesday but paused to accommodate Haigh’s schedule — wrapped up his testimony Thursday afternoon.
Cohen is expected to be the main witness against the former president. New York Attorney General
The former longtime executive — who served a brief prison sentence after facing tax fraud for failing to report more than $1.7 million in income — said that the day before he was sentenced in the criminal case, he penned a deal with the Trump Org for a $2 million severance package, ABC reported News.
“Is it just a coincidence that under this severance agreement, you were paid $2 million, which coincidentally is the exact amount you were ordered to pay under your guilty plea?” attorney general Louis Solomon asked Weisselberg.
“Coincidence,” he replied.
Trump attended the first three days of the trial last week.GC Images
Solomon asked the longtime Trump lieutenant about a clause in the impeachment agreement that said he could not voluntarily cooperate with an investigation into the real estate company or Trump.
Weisselberg said he “doesn’t give [the clause] a lot of thinking, to be honest.”
The finance chief also said that Trump’s three eldest children, Ivanka, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., all “want to know how the business is going fast,” especially when it comes time for them to step in and fill in for their dad. role at the top during his candidacy for president.
Cohen is Trump’s personal lawyer and “fixer” but has turned his back on the former president.REUTERS
Trump’s lawyers did not cross-examine Weisselberg. Another former Trump Org employee, Patrick Birney, was called to the witness stand after Weisselberg.
The James case alleges that for a decade, Trump inflated his net worth by more than $3 billion a year for better loan and insurance terms and to climb the Forbes billionaires list.
The trial, decided by a judge rather than a jury, is expected to last until December.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
