Donald Trump’s Civil Fraud Trial Proceeds Despite Failed Bid to Halt Proceedings
By Michael R. Sisak | Associated Press
In a setback for former President Donald Trump, an appeals court judge denied his request to pause his civil fraud trial. The trial, brought forth by New York Attorney General Letitia James, entered its fifth day of proceedings in which Trump faces the potential loss of Trump Tower and other prominent properties.
Although the trial will continue, Trump will retain control of his assets for the time being. The decision was made following an emergency hearing on Friday afternoon.
Trump, who attended the first three days of the trial, referred to it as a “witch hunt and a disgrace” to the media stationed outside the courthouse.
Prior to the hearing, Trump’s lawyers had requested the state’s intermediate appellate court to suspend the trial and prevent Judge Arthur Engoron from enforcing a pretrial ruling that revoked Trump’s business licenses and appointed a receiver to oversee his companies.
Christopher Kise, Trump’s lawyer, argued that the ruling sets a dangerous precedent, leaving defendants in other cases vulnerable to having their companies and properties seized without recourse.
Trump’s legal team also raised concerns about the potential harm the ruling could inflict on Trump, other defendants, and up to 1,000 employees.
During the hearing, State Deputy Solicitor General Judy Vale revealed that James’ office had proposed keeping the business licenses intact until after the trial. However, Kise expressed doubts about Engoron’s willingness to accept the proposal.
Judy Vale dismissed the arguments for a delay as “completely meritless” and highlighted the extensive planning and resources that went into organizing the trial, including security arrangements and special arrangements for press and public access.
Following the hearing, Letitia James declined to comment, but she previously stated that the evidence against Trump and the other defendants is strong.
In response to the ruling, Christopher Kise released a statement expressing satisfaction with the court’s decision to uphold New York law and halt any cancellation of business certificates, receivers, or dissolution.
Last week, the appellate court rejected a last-minute attempt by Trump’s defense team to delay the trial. Trump’s lawyers also dropped a lawsuit against Judge Engoron that was part of the same challenge.
In his ruling last week, Engoron found that Trump had committed years of fraud and deceit, exaggerating the value of his assets on financial statements provided to banks, insurers, and others.
Trump, however, maintains his innocence and argues that the listed values on his statements do not accurately reflect the true worth of his assets.
In a significant testimony, former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney admitted that the valuation he assigned to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort was based on a false premise. He was unaware that Trump had agreed to restrict the property’s usage to a social club only.
The trial will resume with Allen Weisselberg, Trump’s longtime finance chief, taking the stand. Weisselberg oversaw Trump’s financial dealings, securing loans, and supervising the preparation of financial statements. He served a prison sentence for tax evasion earlier this year.
As the trial unfolded, Judge Engoron issued an order outlining procedures for enforcing his ruling. Both sides have specific deadlines to comply with the order.
Trump’s lawyers criticized Engoron’s decision, arguing that he had no legal authority to impose such severe consequences and that he failed to clarify the practical implications of his ruling during pretrial hearings.
Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report.
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