Donald Trump entered politics after making a fortune in business: on Monday in New York, the man who wants to lead the United States again will be heard in a high-risk civil trial, accused of having enormously inflated his fortune , to attract attractions the banks.
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“Pumped up,” according to his son Eric, the 77-year-old former president of the United States must sit at 10 a.m. (3 p.m. GMT) on Monday to the left of his judge, Arthur Engoron, another septuagenarian with whom he has had terrible relations since the opening of the debates on October 2nd.
As in the four criminal cases in which he is charged and risks prison sentences, Donald Trump continued to attack the judge, a “thug,” “deranged,” “hateful” who would do “the Democrats’ dirty job.”
The judge, in turn, reprimanded him and then punished him with two fines, $5,000 and then $10,000, for accusing his employee.
Donald Trump is being questioned by the New York Attorney General’s Office in this non-jury civil trial involving his two children, Donald Jr. and Eric, executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization, a variety of companies that manage high-rise residential and office buildings, luxury hotels, residences and golf courses around the world.
During his first testimony in the investigation on August 10, 2022, he denounced in the preamble “the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country,” which, in his eyes, was carried out by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, before remaining silent.
The trial is just one of the first legal tests Donald Trump faces as he heads into the Republican primary and presidential election, which he hopes to win to return to the White House.
In particular, he is expected in federal court in Washington in March 2024 and accused of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
For now, his charges have no impact on his dominance over his Republican rivals in the polls. On Sunday, a year to the day before the presidential election, a New York Times/Siena College poll showed that he was also the winner over Joe Biden in five of six key states: Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
The civil case got off to a bad start: even before it opened, the judge was of the opinion that the New York Attorney General’s Office had presented “conclusive evidence that the defendants overstated the group’s assets” by “812 million” between 2014 and 2021 ( to) $2.2 billion,” depending on the year, in Donald Trump’s annual financial statements.
Because of “repeated fraud,” he ordered the liquidation of companies that managed these assets, such as Trump Tower and 40 Wall Street skyscrapers in New York or the opulent Seven Springs residence in an idyllic corner of his suburbs. In other words, Donald Trump would simply lose control of part of his real estate empire.
The decision was stayed on appeal, but it highlights the risk the case poses for the Republican billionaire, who entered politics by exploiting his image as a successful builder, promoted by his book “The Art of the Deal.” (“The Art of Negotiation”).
Donald Trump regularly came to New York for hearings, turning each of his passages in the court corridors into media rituals and storming against the judge and the attorney general, an African-American and Democratic elected official whom he describes as “racist” and “racist” corrupt”. Or repeat that his residence at Mar-a-Lago in Florida is worth 50 to 100 times more than the court’s estimates ($17 to 28 million), which take into account the restrictions on the use of the site since it is a private club, which reduces its value.
In the case, his lawyers deny any fraud, arguing that property valuations are necessarily subjective and that the lending banks haven’t lost a dollar.
Donald Trump’s confirmation hearing follows that of his two sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, this week. Facing the barrage of questions from the Attorney General’s Office, they assured that they had not been involved in the preparation of documents on the financial statements of the family assets, a task that falls to the accountants.
But Eric Trump was confronted by the prosecution with several emails that apparently showed the opposite.
The parade of the family clan must continue with another daughter of Donald Trump, Ivanka.
Since the fraud was deemed proven by the judge, the proceedings concern further violations of financial laws and the amount of the fine. The attorney general’s office is demanding $250 million.