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01 Nov 2023, 11:40 AM EDT
Former President Donald Trump criticized the judge handling the civil fraud trial he faces in New York, Arthur Engoron, through his Truth Social platform, also asking him to “leave his children alone.”
“There is no Victim (except me!). Leave my children alone, Engoron,” Trump noted on his Truth Social platform. “You are a disgrace to the legal profession!”
Trump, who has called the trial a “witch hunt” and politically motivated, said there is enough evidence to dismiss the case. According to him, his former personal attorney Michael Cohen, who testified last week, lied on the stand and admitted to lying.
“This rigged trial, brought by the racist New York State prosecutor, Letitia James, before Trump and the judge who hates the developer, Arthur Engoron, who should never have been presented before the so-called STAR WITNESS, lawyer for SleazeBag (for many people ) Michael Cohen admitted last week on the stand that I LIED,” Trump wrote, adding that given those claims, the case should be dismissed.
The former president also defended that the financial statements of his companies were actually lower than their true value, contrary to some of the testimony presented at trial. He also reiterated the defense argument that there was a “hold harmless clause” in the financial statements and that the banks received full payment.
Trial against Trump in full development
The civil trial was initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat and critic of Trump. The case claims the family for years falsely inflated and deflated the value of the Trump Organization’s assets to receive lower taxes and better insurance coverage.
Donald Trump Jr. will take the stand in the trial this Wednesday, and Eric Trump will take the stand on Thursday. His testimony could provide critical information about the company’s structure and his complicity in the alleged fraud. The two sons are executive vice presidents of the company.
Also expected to testify in the case is Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, who was named as a defendant in the lawsuit, but was thrown out of the case by a New York appeals court in June, arguing that the statute of limitations had run out.
Last week he briefly took the witness stand to defend comments he made to reporters that the judge ruled violated a limited gag order.
With information from The Hill