By Jerald Jimenez
28 Sep 2023, 16:37 PM EDT
Former President Donald Trump had a new setback in his latest legal attempt to delay the civil fraud trial he faces in New York, after an appeals court denied his request this Thursday, so the trial will take place next Monday.
Trump had asked for a temporary pause in the civil case, which is being handled by the New York attorney general’s office, alleging that the trial judge was ignoring an appellate ruling.
Given this, Attorney General Letitia James (D) called Trump’s effort a “brazen and meritless attempt” to “usurp” the authority of Judge Arthur Engoron, the Washington Post reported.
The appeals court order comes after Engoron found Trump liable for fraud on Tuesday, finding that James demonstrated the central elements of his case against the former president and his companies.
The decision puts Trump’s business empire at risk, which could lose some of its business licenses and control of some of its famous properties, The Hill reported.
Prosecutor James sued Trump, the Trump Organization and two of his adult sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., last September, as a result of a multi-year investigation that revealed more than a decade of fraud.
The lawsuit alleges that Trump’s company manipulated the value of its assets to pay less taxes and obtain better insurance coverage. James seeks to apply a fine of $250 million in financial sanctions, in addition to preventing Trump and his children from holding positions or directorships in corporations registered or authorized in New York.
Engoron’s declaration of liability is the first of seven causes of action raised in the lawsuit. The other six elements will be the focus of the next trial.
In addition to the civil case, Trump also faces a combined 91 criminal charges in four separate cases, in which he has pleaded not guilty to all charges.