Donald Trump is expected to fly to New York Sunday so he can appear in court Monday morning as a trial is scheduled to begin in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ $250 million civil fraud case against the former president and his company, according to law enforcement sources.
Trump, 77 — who campaigned in Iowa earlier Sunday — will stay at Trump Tower in Midtown on Sunday night and then plans to attend opening arguments at a courthouse in Lower Manhattan, and may be there Tuesday as well, sources told The Post.
His potential appearance would mark the first time Trump has faced Judge Arthur Engoron, whom the 45th president has repeatedly accused of conducting a witch hunt against him – including in recent posts on his social media platform Truth Social.
“I have a Disillusioned Judge, a Trump Hater, who is RUNNING this FAKE CASE through the NYS Courts at a speed never seen before,” Trump wrote recently.
Trump is expected to travel to New York City on Sunday night to stay at Trump Tower before the hearing.REUTERS
The hearing — which is expected to last about three months — is set to begin at 10 a.m. with opening statements by James and by attorneys for defendants in the case including Trump, the Trump Organization, son Eric and Donald Trump Jr. and other former and current officers in the company.
Engoron will decide the case — rather than a jury — to determine how much the defendants should owe after a judge found in a major ruling Tuesday that Trump ran a years-long fraud scheme by repeatedly lying on company documents that inflated the value of his assets to gain an advantage in loans and insurance.
Tuesday’s decision also revoked Trump’s business license in the Big Apple.
Since the case is civil – and not criminal – Trump and the other defendants do not face jail time. Instead, they only face financial damages.
New York Attorney General Letitia James launched a sweeping fraud case against Trump, his companies and others for allegedly inflating his assets.James Keivom
Trump’s lawyers have said in court documents in a separate case that their client plans to attend the first week of the trial in Manhattan Supreme Court.
The documents were filed as lawyers sought to delay Trump’s deposition in a lawsuit from his former “fixer” and personal attorney Michael Cohen.
Trump’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment Sunday.
The Attorney General’s Office declined to comment on Trump’s possible court appearance, but confirmed that James plans to appear for Monday’s proceedings.
After opening Monday, James’ office will begin calling witnesses, with Donald Bender — a partner at the accounting firm Mazars, who handled the Trump Org account for years — scheduled to go first, according to the AG’s witness list.
Trump and sons Eric and Don. Jr. listed as the 25th, 26th and 27th witnesses to be called by James.
That means Trump — aka “witness No. 27” — and his children may not testify for several weeks.
Trump will also face Judge Arthur Engoron — who the former president accused of conducting a witch hunt against.Getty Images
Trump has said that if James calls him, he plans to testify.
Also on the witness list – and defendant in the case – is a former Trump Org. Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg.
Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, who was recused from the case, is also on the witness list, as is Cohen, court papers show.
James’ office said that Trump “grossly” exaggerated his net worth by $3.6 billion a year — including by claiming that his Trump Tower penthouse triplex was 30,000 square feet when it was actually only 11,000 square feet.
The embattled two-time GOP presidential candidate faces numerous criminal charges in four separate cases in four separate states – New York, Florida, Washington DC and Georgia.
He’s been accused of “hush money” in the Big Apple, he’s been accused of mishandling sensitive national security documents in Florida and he’s accused of interfering with the 2020 election results in cases in Georgia and in DC.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
