1 of 2 Trump testifies in court about inflating real estate assets Photo: Portal Trump testifies in court about inflating real estate assets Photo: Portal
Donald Trump confronted the judge this Thursday (11) at a hearing in New York that he attended. The former President of the United States spoke during the closing argument session about the case in which he is accused of inflating the value of his real estate assets (more on that below).
Judge Arthur Engoron was speaking to the defense when he was interrupted by the defendant.
“We have a situation where I am an innocent man,” Trump said. “I’m being stalked by someone running for public office.”
According to Trump, the accusation is a strategy by New York Attorney General Letitia James to gain public sympathy. The former president also claims that the judge is against him.
“This is a fraud against me. “What happened here, sir, is a betrayal of me,” Trump said. “I know that [o processo] “It’s boring for you,” he said to Engoron.
In response, the judge turned to the defendant's lawyer: “Control your client.”
Court hears final arguments from Trump's defense
Trump's defense even called on the former president himself to deliver the case's closing arguments, but the request was rejected after lawyers missed the deadline to agree on the ground rules of the speech.
The conditions imposed by Engoron were intended to guarantee that the former president would not use his recent comments to “make a campaign speech” or attack the authorities involved in the case.
Engoron has been the target of criticism and virtual attacks from Trump himself and his supporters. On Wednesday (10), the former president accused the judge via social media of collaborating with the New York attorney general to harm him.
This is not the first time that Trump and Engoron have clashed. The former president has already called the judge “unbalanced” and a “Democratic agent of the radical left who hates Trump.”
2 of 2 Trump confronts the judge during the hearing and the judge tells the lawyer: “Control your client” Photo: Portal/JANE ROSENBERG SKETCHES Trump confronts the judge during the hearing and the judge tells the lawyer: “Control your client.” “ Photo: Portal/JANE ROSENBERG SKETCHES
“I'm sure the judge will rule against me because he always rules against me,” the former president said.
Engoron warned Trump that he could remove him from the witness stand if he did not answer questions directly.
“Mr Kise, can you control your client? This is not a political rally. This is a courtroom,” Engoron said, addressing Trump attorney Christopher Kise.
At another point during the trial, the judge imposed two fines on Trump, US$5,000 and US$10,000 (R$24,500 and R$49,000 at the current exchange rate), after finding that the businessman had violated an imposed gag order after attacking the court clerk on social media.
This is one of four cases in which Trump, the Republican favorite for the 2024 presidential election, is currently indicted in the US.
The lawsuit, filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accuses Trump and his family businesses of manipulating real estate values to deceive creditors and insurers and embellish Trump's reputation as a successful businessman.
The trial gained momentum in late September when Judge Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over the session, ruled that “ongoing fraud” had been proven.
According to Engoron, the New York Attorney General's Office had already proven that Donald Trump and the directors of his group had “overstated” their assets between 2014 and 2021 by between 812 and 2.2 billion US dollars (around 2.1 to 12.2 billion R$ ). .
Because this is a civil rather than criminal trial, Trump cannot be arrested, but a conviction could have significant financial implications. The former president could be blocked from doing business in the city, and the process threatens the real estate empire Trump built in New York.
The judge previously ordered the revocation of the New York business licenses of Donald Trump and Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., vice presidents of the Trump Organization. He also ordered the seizure of the companies subject to the proceedings and which will be transferred to the liquidators.
Donald Trump, who amassed his fortune in real estate and casinos in the 1980s and promised to run the United States like his companies, subsequently lost control of several of his group's iconic buildings, such as Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.
The real estate is at the heart of prosecutor Letitia James' allegations: the area of the businessman's apartment in Trump Tower tripled, and the building at number 40 Wall Street was worth between 200 and 300 million US dollars (around 1 billion R$ and 1.5 R$) overvalued billion).
The Trump Organization's luxury residence in MaraLago, Florida, and several golf courses also appear in the dossier.