Donald Trump Jr. takes his turn as the first defense witness to be called in the New York Supreme Court on Monday, as confirmed by attorneys representing the Trump family. The lawyers are set to begin their defense after New York attorney general’s office rested its case on Wednesday. The court denied a motion to limit defense witness testimony, allowing the Trump team to call all of their witnesses in the ongoing case.
Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling emphasized his desire to avoid a retrial, stating, “I don’t want to be reversed.” Although the defense team will be able to call their witnesses, Engoron made it clear that any testimony must be relevant to the case. The judge previously ruled in favor of the attorney general’s allegations of fraud by the Trumps and their company.
While the defense awaits the judge’s decision on the remaining six claims in the case, Donald Trump’s defense attorney Chris Kise argued that there was no intent or conspiracy to defraud the lenders and insurance companies. Kise pointed out that the attorney general’s key witness, Michael Cohen, had admitted that Trump never explicitly asked him to inflate assets, a claim that contradicted the state’s original stance.
The defense’s motion to dismiss remaining claims of falsifying business records, issuing false financial statements, and conspiracy to commit fraud was met with resistance from the attorney general’s office. Assistant Attorney General Kevin Wallace emphasized that the case is hinged on documents signed by the defendants claiming responsibility for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements.
The attorney general’s office also sought to exclude the testimony of four expert witnesses called upon by Trump’s legal team. In response, Kise made a controversial remark urging the opposing attorney to go to Russia, prompting the judge to request an apology. Kise eventually apologized, but reaffirmed his belief that the defense’s case deserves fair consideration in the courtroom.
