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New York, Oct 3: On Monday, former US President Donald Trump appeared in a New York court in connection with a civil lawsuit filed against him and the Trump Organization alleging fraud. The lawsuit, initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accuses Trump of inflating his net worth by more than $2 billion, crossing the line from exaggeration to fraudulent presentation, Xinhua news agency reported.
The gist of the attorney general’s argument is that Trump, along with his adult sons and their family business, manipulated financial data to gain favorable terms from banks. Trump walked through the corridors of the court, but he avoided making any statements to reporters this time, unlike previous instances when he had openly criticized the proceedings, Judges Arthur Angoron and Letitia James.
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In a significant development, Judge Engoron ruled a week ago that Trump and his co-defendants were liable for fraud in one of seven claims included in the attorney general’s civil lawsuit.
Although it was not mandatory for Trump to attend the trial against him, his elder sons, their companies, and Trump Organization executives, he chose to attend and sat in the Manhattan courtroom. While entering and exiting the court he took the opportunity to criticize the ongoing proceedings.
During the trial, the New York Attorney General’s office questioned Donald Bender, Trump’s former accountant at Mazars USA, about the price of a penthouse apartment for Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump. During the trial, provided testimony, stating, “If I came across anything that appeared unclear or raised concerns, I would seek clarification from the client, which in this case was the Trump Organization.”
Trump’s last appearance at a New York courthouse was in April when he was arraigned on criminal charges related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. He is scheduled to be tried in that case next year and faces trial in Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C. He also faces criminal charges in three other cases.
