‘He Will Not Be Speaking’: Judge Says Trump Can’t Give His Own Closing Argument At NY Civil Business Fraud Trial

Judge Arthur Engoron will not allow former President Donald Trump to make his own closing argument in his New York civil business fraud trial on Thursday after Trump was reportedly planning on speaking in court. 

One of Trump’s attorneys previously told Engoron that the former president wanted to speak during the closing arguments, a source told The Associated Press. But in an email Wednesday afternoon, Engoron informed Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise that since he did not hear from Trump’s team “by the third extended deadline (noon today), I assume that Mr. Trump will not agree to the reasonable, lawful limits that I have imposed as a precondition to giving a closing statement above and beyond those given by his attorneys, and that, therefore, he will not be speaking in court tomorrow.”  

Trump’s lawyers had objected to Engoron’s insistence that Trump speaks only to “relevant” matters if he gives his own closing argument, the AP reported. In an email Kise sent to the judge 20 minutes before noon on Wednesday, Trump’s attorney told Engoron that he “was not allowing President Trump, who has been wrongfully demeaned and belittled by an out of control court, politically motivated Attorney General, to speak about the things that must be spoken about.”  

Engoron shot back in an email 14 minutes later, writing, “I won’t debate this yet again. Take it or leave it. Now or never. You have until noon, seven minutes from now. I WILL NOT GRANT ANY FURTHER EXTENSIONS.”

NEW: Judge Engoron says Donald Trump can't deliver closing statements at his NYC fraud trial tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/IUziOwS5Hj

— Erik Uebelacker (@Uebey) January 10, 2024

Trump’s civil business fraud trial began after New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit against the former president and three of his children in September 2022. The suit alleges that Trump, along with Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump, misled the value of his company’s assets in financial statements “over 200 times in 10 years.” Initially, James sought $250 million in fines for Trump, but according to a brief filed last week, James is now asking the judge to fine Trump more than $370 million.  

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Trump previously called Judge Engoron a “deranged, Trump-hating judge.” Engoron has donated thousands of dollars in political contributions to Democrats, according to campaign finance records. He has already rescinded some of Trump’s business licenses in New York, and the judge is expected to come to a verdict in the civil business fraud trial by the end of the month.