Former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants requested a mistrial in his New York non-jury civil fraud case on Wednesday, alleging the appearance of bias from the judge and his principal law clerk had &#8220;tainted&#8221; the trial.
&#8220;This appearance of bias threatens both Defendants&#8217; rights and the integrity of the judiciary as an institution,&#8221; Trump&#8217;s attorneys said in the filing, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/trump-fraud-trial/motion-accuses-judge-of-predetermining-trials-outcome-104914486?id=103642561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ABC News. &#8220;As developed herein, in this case the evidence of apparent and actual bias is tangible and overwhelming.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s legal team reportedly referenced a Wheatley School alumni page that trial Judge Arthur Engoron appears to run. According to <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4310913-trump-files-motion-for-mistrial-in-ny-fraud-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>, the judge allegedly made posts about the case or individuals involved in it, including Trump, Eric Trump, and Trump&#8217;s attorney Alina Habba.
The filing pointed to a New York code that states, &#8220;a judge shall not make any public comment about a pending or impending proceeding in any court within the United States or its territories.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s legal team also expressed concern with Engoron&#8217;s principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield, for her &#8220;unprecedented role in the trial and extensive, public partisan activities.&#8221;
&#8220;Such evidence, coupled with an unprecedented departure from standard judicial procedure, has tainted these proceedings and a mistrial is warranted,&#8221; the filing says.
The case stems from New York Attorney General Letitia James&#8217; investigation into Trump&#8217;s business practices. James, who <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/10/03/letitia-james-prosecute-trump-2018-comments-running-office-cnntm-vpx.cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">campaigned</a> on prosecuting Trump, has charged the former president, his companies, and members of his family with lying on property valuations to secure favorable loan terms and other illegal advantages.
James is seeking $250 million and restrictions on Trump&#8217;s ability to do business in New York.
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A spokesperson for the New York attorney general&#8217;s office reportedly said that the former president&#8217;s request for a mistrial is an effort to &#8220;dismiss the truth and the facts, but the numbers and evidence don&#8217;t lie.&#8221;
&#8220;He can keep trying to distract from his fraud, but the truth always comes out,&#8221; the spokesperson said.
The filing in Manhattan marks the latest confrontation between Trump&#8217;s attorneys and Judge Arthur Engoron, who issued a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-imposes-gag-order-in-trumps-ny-civil-fraud-trial-after-former-president-posts-about-court-clerk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gag order</a> against the former president last month, prohibiting him from making public statements about Engoron&#8217;s principal law clerk. Trump has since violated the order twice, costing him $15,000 in fines.
Engoron, a Democrat, already ruled that Trump is liable for &#8220;persistent fraud&#8221; after the New York State Attorney General&#8217;s Office (OAG) said Trump had prepared, certified, and submitted false and misleading financial statements to lenders.
According to ABC News, Engoron did not rule on Trump&#8217;s legal team&#8217;s request for a mistrial on Wednesday to give the New York attorney general time to decide whether the state will respond.
&#8220;I would ask if we could have until tomorrow to determine if we want to put in anything,&#8221; said state attorney Kevin Wallace.
Trump offered remarks before entering the courthouse last week, calling the trial &#8220;political warfare&#8221; and &#8220;political law-fare.&#8221;
&#8220;Usually, it takes place in third-world countries and banana republics,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Nobody has ever seen that to this extent. We&#8217;ve never seen it here.&#8221;
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Former President Trump Testifies In Trump Organization Civil Fraud Case

Trump Requests Mistrial In ‘Tainted’ New York Civil Fraud Case

Trump Requests Mistrial In 'Tainted' New York Civil Fraud Case

Donald Trump

Letitia James

New York

New York City

Politics

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> defended his business record against allegations of illegally enriching himself through inflated property valuations in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> court on Monday.
Trump got into several contentious back-and-forths with the judge, Arthur Engoron, who complained throughout the former president’s testimony about vague answers and political speeches. Trump at times defended himself and attacked the prosecution’s case. He said he was the victim of a political prosecution.
“This is political warfare, as you would call it. Or political law-fare, another name. I got a lot of names for it,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111364392373619792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in remarks before entering the courthouse Monday morning. “Usually it takes place in third world countries and banana republics. Nobody has ever seen that to this extent, we’ve never seen it here.”
The court case stems out of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into Trump’s business practices. James, who campaigned on targeting Trump for prosecution, has charged Trump, his companies, and members of his family of lying on property valuations to secure favorable loan terms and other advantages illegally. James is seeking $250 million and restrictions on Trump’s ability to do business in New York.
At one point during Trump’s testimony, Engoron threatened to dismiss the former president and “draw every negative inference that I can” because of the former president’s answers to questions.
Trump attorney Christopher Kise had encouraged Engoron to give Trump latitude when it came to answering questions. “With this witness, it&#8217;s far more efficient to listen and take it all in,” Kise said, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-testifies-new-york-fraud-trial/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>.
“No, I’m not here to hear what he has to say. … I’m here to hear him answer questions. Sit down!” Engoron exclaimed. “We got another speech. I beseech you to control him if you can. If you can’t, I will. I will excuse him and draw every negative inference that I can.”
James’ office alleged that financial statements from Trump’s business properties over the years inflated their worth and allowed him to illegally enrich himself.
Trump said that if there were errors in the documents, a disclaimer protected him.
“The disclaimer clause says if there’s a mistake, if there’s something, don’t rely on it,” Trump said. The disclaimers “always hold up in court, except maybe this court.”
For instance, prosecutors pressed Trump on the changing valuation of his Trump Tower apartment; the value changed in financial documents from $327 million in 2016 to roughly $116.8 million the next year. The change came after Forbes had reported in an article that Trump had inflated his net worth, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/06/politics/takeaways-trump-engoron-testimony-fraud-trial/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>.
The former president said he was “probably” involved in the change and acknowledged that mistakes may have been made in the earlier valuation. He referenced several possible scenarios in which such a mistake could have been made.
“There’s a disclaimer clause where you don’t have to get sued by the attorney general of New York,” Trump said, according to CNN.
“If I wanted to build up the statement like you said I did before you found out just how rich we are, I would’ve added brand value here and I would’ve increased it by tens of millions of dollars,” Trump later added.

Trump Defends Business Record In Contentious Court Testimony

New York Judge Arthur Engoron threatened to dismiss former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> from the witness stand on Monday over Trump’s testimony in a case over his business practices.
Trump took the stand to defend himself and his company, the Trump Organization, against prosecution from New York Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/letitia-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Letitia James</a>, who campaigned on targeting the former president. James has accused Trump of inflating the values of his business holdings to illegally enrich himself and his company through better loan terms and other advantages.
Shortly after his testimony began, Engoron began to instruct Trump and his legal team to control the former president’s behavior on the stand and keep Trump’s answers limited to the questions he is asked.
“Some of your answers have not been in response to the question,” Engoron said, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-civil-fraud-trial-11-06-23/h_f29176cec0c60c375d68102bb3a39a6d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. “[Prosecutor Kevin Wallace] is being very patient. I would like to move this along.”
A few minutes later, Trump in his testimony accused the judge of targeting him unfairly.
“I’m sure the judge will rule against me because he always rules against me,” Trump said in an answer related to the statute of limitations.
Engoron then turned on Chris Kise, one of Trump’s attorneys: “The comment that I always rule against him, which as you know is not true anyway, certainly didn’t answer the question.”
“So Mr. Trump, please just answer the question,” Engoron continued, addressing the former president. “You can attack me, you can do whatever you want, but answer the question.”
In a show of building frustration, Engoron later asked Kise to “control” Trump.
“Mr. Kise, can you control your client?” Engoron asked. “This is not a political rally. This is a courtroom.”
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“In addition to the answers being nonresponsive, they’re repetitive. We don’t have time to waste. We have one day with this witness,” the judge <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-civil-fraud-trial-11-06-23/h_cbf29ee9ae0f97817b21e1ec63874b32" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
When the prosecutor, Wallace, asked Trump about a valuation of 40 Wall Street, a Trump building located in Manhattan, Trump responded that the valuation in question was outside the five-year statute of limitations, prompting another reprimand from the judge.
“Mr. Kise that was a simple yes or no question. We got another speech. I beseech you to control him if you can. If you can’t I will. I will I excuse him and draw every negative inference that I can,” Engoron <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-civil-fraud-trial-11-06-23/h_41d94b3a202e3b8f7d30e1f8f361256a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Before the court adjourned for a 15-minute break, Trump <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-civil-fraud-trial-11-06-23/h_f716df5b5339dc06d8e4f3b25000667e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>: “This is a very unfair trial. Very, very and I hope the public is watching.”
Before entering the courtroom to testify, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111364392373619792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he was being targeted by political operatives and compared the trial to corruption in third-world countries.

Judge Threatens To Dismiss Trump Over ‘Nonresponsive,’ ‘Political’ Answers During Testimony

Judge Threatens To Dismiss Trump Over ‘Non-Responsive,’ ‘Political’ Answers During Testimony

Courts

The judge presiding over Donald Trump&#8217;s New York <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-imposes-gag-order-in-trumps-ny-civil-fraud-trial-after-former-president-posts-about-court-clerk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">civil fraud trial</a> reportedly issued a $10,000 fine against the former president on Monday for again violating a gag order placed on him after he posted about the judge&#8217;s clerk on social media.
Justice Arthur Engoron reportedly slapped the fine against Trump on Wednesday after the former president told reporters during a break in the proceedings earlier in the day that the person sitting beside Engoron was &#8220;partisan.&#8221;
&#8220;This judge is a very partisan judge, with a person who&#8217;s very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/donald-trump-michael-cohen-face-off-again-new-york-fraud-trial-2023-10-25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, according to Reuters.
The order from Engoron, who attracted ire after he appeared to pose for cameras when the trial began earlier this month, came after Trump posted an image on his Truth Social account about Engoron&#8217;s principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield, standing next to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Engoron <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/25/trump-judge-gag-order-new-york-00123505" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> said he believed Trump referred to Greenfield in his latest remarks. But the former president took the witness stand on Wednesday to clarify.
&#8220;To whom were you referring?&#8221; Engoron asked.
&#8220;You and Cohen,&#8221; Trump said about his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who testified in the trial on Wednesday.
Engoron responded, saying he is &#8220;very protective of my staff, as I should be&#8221; and does not &#8220;want anybody killed.&#8221;
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&#8220;I stated the last time that any future violations would be severely punished,&#8221; Engoron said. &#8220;Why should there not be severe sanctions for this blatant, dangerous disobeyal of a court order?&#8221;
Engoron fined Trump $5,000 last week after discovering the former president had yet to take down the post about Greenfield.
The judge further indicated he would consider jailing the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination if he violated the gag order again.
&#8220;Make no mistake: future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions, which may include, but are not limited to, steeper financial penalties, holding Donald Trump in contempt of court, and possibly imprisoning him,&#8221; Engoron wrote in the two-page order imposing the fine.
Trump is currently on trial in New York over claims that he inflated his net worth by as much as $2 billion in specific years for better loans; the former president has denied any wrongdoing and deemed the trial as &#8220;a continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time.&#8221;
New York Attorney General Letitia James wants to fine Trump $250 million, impose a five-year commercial real estate ban against the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and bar him and his sons — Donald Jr. and Eric — from running businesses in the Empire State.
Engoron, a Democrat, already ruled last week that Trump is liable for &#8220;persistent fraud&#8221; after the New York State Attorney General&#8217;s Office (OAG) said Trump had prepared, certified, and submitted false and misleading financial statements to lenders.
In a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111295603626898024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Wednesday, Trump called Engoron &#8220;a very partisan and angry Judge&#8221; and asserted the trial is &#8220;rigged.&#8221;
&#8220;I will soon be leaving for Crooked Joe Biden&#8217;s &#8216;Political Opponent Court&#8217; in Lower Manhattan. I have a very partisan and angry Judge, a Corrupt Attorney General, and am not allowed a Jury Trial under the Statute they have chosen to use (for the very first time ever!),&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;The good news, that even the Fake News is seeing, is that the facts are ALL on my side! I BUILT A GREAT COMPANY, FAR BIGGER &amp; STRONGER THAN ANYONE HAD ASSUMED! This is a RIGGED TRIAL, right out of a Banana Republic, but sadly, it gives the Republicans the right to do the same thing when we assume office…And remember, Crooked Joe Biden is the most CORRUPT (and Incompetent!) President in the history of the U.S., VERY FERTILE GROUND THERE, but very bad for our Country! This unfair political Witch Hunt is causing companies to leave New York at a record pace. They don&#8217;t want this to happen to them!&#8221;

Former President Trump’s Civil Fraud Trial Continues In New York City

Judge Fines Trump $10,000 Over Gag Order Violation

U.S.

State Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/letitia-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Letitia James</a> (D-NY) fired back at former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, claiming that Trump&#8217;s complaints — about the ongoing fraud trial against him — amounted to &#8220;race-baiting.&#8221;
James, who ran her campaign on a promise to &#8220;get Trump,&#8221; told reporters that Trump&#8217;s loud and frequent objections to the Manhattan Supreme Court Trial — which he has referred to as, among other things, a &#8220;witch hunt&#8221; — were &#8220;offensive&#8221; and &#8220;baseless&#8221; as well.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/NewYorkStateAG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NewYorkStateAG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TishJames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TishJames</a>: &quot;Trump’s comments [criticizing N.Y.&#39;s fraud case] were offensive, they were baseless. They were void of any facts and/or any evidence. What they were were comments that unfortunately fomented violence, comments that I would describe as race-baiting&quot; <a href="https://t.co/4zVd2QYxrT">pic.twitter.com/4zVd2QYxrT</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1709654679141974178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Trump’s comments [criticizing N.Y.&#8217;s fraud case] were offensive, they were baseless,&#8221; she complained. &#8220;They were void of any facts and/or any evidence. What they were, were comments that unfortunately fomented violence, comments that I would describe as race-baiting, and comments that unfortunately appeals to the bottom of our humanity.&#8221;
James went on to defend her reasons from bringing the case in the first place, saying that it was about the alleged fraud and nothing more.
&#8220;I will not sit idly by and allow anyone to subvert the law,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;And lastly, I will not be bullied. So Mr. Trump is no longer here, the Donald Trump show is over. This was nothing more than a political stunt.&#8221;
Trump, who is standing trial while still holding his position at the head of the pack in the 2024 Republican primary, has lashed out at a number of people associated with his trial — James included.
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Since the first day of the trial, the former president has <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/donald-trump-new-york-ag-letitia-james-civil-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called James</a> &#8220;corrupt,&#8221; &#8220;racist,&#8221; and a &#8220;radical-left attorney general&#8221; — and complained that the &#8220;witch hunt&#8221; trial was keeping him away from the campaign trail, making it an attempt at election interference.
&#8220;Letitia James should resign for purposeful and criminal Election Interference. She is fully aware that Mar-a-Lago, and other assets, are worth much more than what she is claiming. Both of these Democrat Operatives are a disgrace to New York, and to the United States of America!&#8221; he said.

Former President Donald Trump Attends Start Of Civil Fraud Trial In New York City

NY AG Blames Trump’s Trial Criticisms On … Wait For It … Racism

AG Blames Trump's Trial Criticisms On ... Wait For It ... Racism

Fraud

Racism

The New York judge in former President Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/witch-hunt-trump-arrives-in-new-york-court-for-250-million-civil-fraud-suit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">non-jury civil fraud trial</a> imposed a limited gag order after Trump shared the name and image of the judge&#8217;s clerk on social media.
&#8220;Personal attacks on members on my court staff are unacceptable, inappropriate, and I won&#8217;t tolerate it [in my courtroom],&#8221; Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron reportedly said, later adding to &#8220;consider this a gag order for all parties from posting about any members of my staff.&#8221;
The order from Engoron, who attracted ire on Monday after he appeared to pose for cameras during the trial, came after Trump posted an image on his Truth Social account about Engoron&#8217;s principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield, standing next to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
&#8220;Schumer&#8217;s girlfriend, Alison R. Greenfield, is running this case against me. How disgraceful! This case should be dismissed immediately!!&#8221; Trump said in his <a href="https://am12.mediaite.com/med/cnt/uploads/2023/10/Screenshot-2023-10-03-at-12.57.56%E2%80%AFPM.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a>, which has since been deleted.
The former president also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-letitia-james-fraud-lawsuit-new-york-371675a2482c1de01f516f29b5a43d33?taid=651c6b123ba4d00001ae741a&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> said that Greenfield &#8220;should not be allowed to be in [Engoron&#8217;s] ear on every single question&#8221; and suggested that she &#8220;hates Trump.&#8221;
Engoron <a href="https://themessenger.com/politics/trump-gag-order-new-york-engoron-clerk-truth-social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> rebuked the &#8220;untrue and personally identifying posts&#8221; and later said, &#8220;Failure to abide by this order will result in serious sanctions.&#8221;
Trump entered the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Monday for the first day of his trial over claims that he inflated his net worth by as much as $2 billion in specific years for better loans; the former president has denied any wrongdoing and deemed the trial as &#8220;a continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time.&#8221;
New York Attorney General Letitia James wants to fine Trump $250 million, impose a five-year commercial real estate ban against the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and bar him and his sons — Donald Jr. and Eric — from running businesses in the Empire State.
Engoron, a Democrat, already ruled last week that Trump is liable for &#8220;persistent fraud&#8221; after the New York State Attorney General&#8217;s Office (OAG) said Trump had prepared, certified, and submitted false and misleading financial statements to lenders.
Following the first day in the Manhattan court, Trump claimed Engoron &#8220;essentially conceded&#8221; that much of James&#8217; lawsuit was thrown out due to the statute of limitations.
&#8220;The last five minutes was outstanding because the judge essentially conceded that the statute of limitations, that we won at the court of appeals, is in effect,&#8221; Trump told reporters. &#8220;Therefore, about 80% of the case is over.&#8221;
The claim came after James questioned one of Trump&#8217;s former accountants, who reportedly said during testimony that the former president&#8217;s 2011 financial statements might have passed the time frame where claims could be brought to trial.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/03/trumps-statute-of-limitations-claim-at-civil-trial-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that an appeals court ruled in June that the relevant statute of limitations was set in 2014, which Trump&#8217;s legal team argued cuts out most of the case.
But the presiding judge said Tuesday, &#8220;statutes of limitations bar claims, not evidence.&#8221;
&#8220;I want to emphasize: This trial is not an opportunity to relitigate what I have already decided,&#8221; Engoron said.
Trump&#8217;s trial in New York is expected to last into December.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Former President Donald Trump’s New York Civil Fraud Trial

Judge Imposes Gag Order In Trump’s NY Civil Fraud Trial After Former President Posts About Court Clerk

Judge Imposes Gag Order In Trump's New York Civil Fraud Trial After Former President Posts About Court Clerk

Former President Donald Trump entered the New York City Supreme Court in Manhattan on Monday for the first day of his trial over claims that he inflated his net worth by billions for better loans. 
As Trump arrived at the courthouse, he <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/live-blog/live-updates-trumps-new-york-fraud-trial-begins-rcna118320" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters the trial was &#8220;a continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time.&#8221; The former president is accused of inflating his net worth by as much as $2 billion in certain years, and New York Attorney General Letitia James wants Trump fined $250 million. 
“There is no crime,” Trump said before he entered the chamber on Monday. “The crime is against me.”
Alina Habba, a lawyer for Trump, also spoke before the trial began, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/02/nyregion/trump-fraud-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> that Trump was facing the charges because he is leading in the polls. Trump has consistently held a large lead in the Republican presidential primary and has gained a lead on President Joe Biden as well. 
“What we are witnessing is election interference of somebody who is leading in the polls the more they hit him. So keep hitting him, because he’s going to keep fighting,” Habba said. 
James also spoke to reporters on Monday morning, claiming that Trump has engaged in fraud.
“Today we will prove our other claims,” she said. “My message is simple: No matter how powerful you are, no matter how much money you think you may have, no one is above the law. And it is my responsibility and my duty and my job to enforce it.”
Presiding Judge Arthur Engoron, a Democrat, already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-judge-rules-trump-liable-for-fraud-trump-this-is-democrat-political-lawfare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> last week that Trump is liable for “persistent fraud” after the New York State Attorney General’s Office (OAG) said Trump had prepared, certified, and submitted false and misleading financial statements to lenders.
As part of that ruling, Trump and his sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, could lose control over their New York properties. James sued them under a law requiring a judge to decide the outcome rather than a jury, meaning that Engoron will decide if Trump needs to pay the $250 million, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/02/nyregion/trump-fraud-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Times. 
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Trump previously spoke out against the charges ahead of his court appearance, slamming James and Engoron <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111163380817964382" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on</a> Truth Social and in a <a href="https://secure.winred.com/save-america-joint-fundraising-committee/5344781smsddnbtb/?utm_campaign=20231002_btb_nd&amp;utm_medium=sms&amp;utm_source=ci_ds_hf_nd_en&amp;exitintent=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video text message</a>.
“I’m going to Court tomorrow morning to fight for my name and reputation against a corrupt and racist Attorney General, Letitia James, who campaigned on &#8216;getting Trump,&#8217; and a Trump Hating Judge who is unfair, unhinged, and vicious in his PURSUIT of me,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social. “He values Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, at 18 Million Dollars, when it is worth 50 to 100 times that amount. His valuations are FRAUDULENT in pursuit of Election Interference, and worse. THIS WHOLE CASE IS A SHAM!!! See you in Court &#8211; Monday morning.”

‘Witch Hunt’: Trump Arrives In New York Court For $250 Million Civil Fraud Suit

Manhattan

Former President Donald Trump <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4182731-trump-pushes-back-letitia-james-inflated-net-worth/">angrily denounced</a> the claim from the New York Attorney General that he has significantly inflated his net worth.
New York Attorney General Letitia James made the claim as part of the state’s lawsuit against Trump, the Trump Organization, and Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, accusing them of business fraud.
“Since at least 2011, Defendants and others working on their behalf at the Trump Organization have falsely inflated by billions of dollars the value of many of the assets listed on Donald J. Trump’s annual statement of financial condition (&#8216;SFC&#8217;), and hence his overall net worth for each of these years,” James wrote in the <a href="https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/fbem/DocumentDisplayServlet?documentId=ug5960XEpNMksGWCbGdRDA==&amp;system=prod" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memorandum</a>. “Mr. Trump, and in some years the trustees of his revocable trust, submitted these grossly inflated SFCs to banks and insurers to secure and maintain loans and insurance on more favorable terms, reaping hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten savings and profits.”
“The Court need answer only two simple and straightforward questions: (1) were the SFCs from 2011 to 2021 false or misleading; and (2) did Defendants repeatedly or persistently use the SFCs in the conduct of business transactions? The answer to both questions is a resounding ‘yes,’” the memorandum stated.
“THE THING I HAVE IS A GREAT CASE BASED ON PHENOMENAL NUMBERS THAT SHOW A NET WORTH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE THAN SHE VICIOUSLY &amp; FALSELY CLAIMED, VERY LITTLE DEBT, BIG CASH, A POWERFUL DISCLAIMER CLAUSE, PAID OFF LOANS, NO DEFAULTS, &#8216;HAPPY&#8217; BANKS, GREAT ASSETS,” Trump responded on Truth Social Thursday, adding, “I WAS DEFAMED BY NYS – ELECTION INTERFERENCE!”
“Defendants followed the same procedure each year to create false and misleading SFCs,” the memo stated. “The SFCs include amounts for Mr. Trump’s assets, mostly real estate holdings, that are represented to be stated ‘at their estimated current values,’ a term defined in the applicable accounting rules as the value that a willing buyer and willing seller could agree on, where both are fully informed and neither is acting under duress. The associated liabilities are then subtracted from the ‘estimated current values’ to derive Mr. Trump’s net worth.”
“ &#8230; at the end of the day this is a documents case, and the documents leave no shred of doubt that Mr. Trump’s SFCs do not even remotely reflect the ‘estimated current value’ of his assets as they would trade between well-informed market participants. Instead, the undisputed evidence establishes that Defendants employed a variety of deceptive schemes to grossly inflate values for many of Mr. Trump’s assets,” the memo continued.
After enumerating various instances where Trump and his organization allegedly engaged in deceptive practices, the memo stated bluntly, “Correcting for these and other blatant and obvious deceptive practices engaged in by Defendants reduces Mr. Trump’s net worth by between 17-39% in each year, or between $812 million to $2.2 billion, depending on the year.”
The lawsuit wants the defendants to pay a $250 million fine and to ban the defendants from having businesses in New York.

Main entrance to the Trump Tower building in Manhattan

Trump Denounces NY AG’s Claim That He’s Worth Billions Less

Trump Denounces NY AG’s Claim That He's Worth Billions Less

Money

CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig said on Thursday that New York Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/letitia-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Letitia James</a>&#8216; civil fraud case against former President Donald Trump was weak because there were no victims in the case, thus no one was actually defrauded.
Honig made the remarks during a segment on &#8220;CNN This Morning&#8221; after James&#8217; office alleged that Trump inflated his net worth by as much as $2.2 billion in one year.
Honig said that it was a &#8220;big case&#8221; because it involved &#8220;hundreds of millions of dollars.&#8221;
&#8220;But it&#8217;s also the fifth-most important case Trump is facing right now after the four criminal cases,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That deposition is really interesting. I mean, Trump argues because of the Trump name, I could have even claimed it was double or triple the value.&#8221;
&#8220;There&#8217;s no question he inflated the assets,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But the problem with the case is no one really got defrauded because the banks on the other end &#8212; the banks who were making those loans, they decided after doing their own diligence, we&#8217;re going to make these loans. And they got repaid with interest so they made profits. That&#8217;s why I think, by the way, it wasn&#8217;t charged criminally.&#8221;
&#8220;So technically, is it fraud? Yes,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;But you don&#8217;t really have a victim, which makes it less appealing as a criminal case.&#8221;
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WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN Legal Analyst Elie Honig hits Attorney General Letitia James civil case against Donald Trump, noting that there were no victims in the case. <a href="https://t.co/Kcx5aVWT27">pic.twitter.com/Kcx5aVWT27</a>
&mdash; Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonrantz/status/1697371930805129343?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2023</a></blockquote>
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New York Attorney General Letitia James Makes Major Announcement

CNN Legal Analyst Hits New York AG Over Civil Case Against Trump: ‘No One Really Got Defrauded’

CNN Legal Analyst Hits New York AG Over Civil Case Against Trump: 'No One Really Got Defrauded'

Crime

New York Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/letitia-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Letitia James</a> said on Tuesday that she expects state-level cases against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> to be &#8220;adjourned&#8221; as the federal prosecution against the former president plays out, increasing the prospect for high-profile investigations to stretch deep into the 2024 election season and possibly beyond.
During an interview for the <a href="https://twitter.com/PodSaveAmerica/status/1668441446968594432?cxt=HHwWgMDQ8f-pv6cuAAAA">Pod Save America</a>, James predicted the scheduling of special counsel Jack Smith&#8217;s documents case would push back her <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/13/nyregion/trump-letitia-james-deposition.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fraud lawsuit </a>against Trump and his business empire, as well as the criminal cases brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Georgia&#8217;s Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
&#8220;In all likelihood, I believe that my case, as well as DA Bragg and the Georgia case, will unfortunately have to be adjourned pending the outcome of the federal case,” James said. “So it all depends upon the scheduling of this particular case.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW: &quot;In all likelihood, I believe that my case [against former President Trump], as well as DA Bragg and the Georgia case, will unfortunately have to be adjourned pending the outcome of the federal case.&quot; —<a href="https://twitter.com/NewYorkStateAG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NewYorkStateAG</a> Letitia James <a href="https://t.co/y9XTziJUZN">pic.twitter.com/y9XTziJUZN</a>
&mdash; Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) <a href="https://twitter.com/PodSaveAmerica/status/1668441446968594432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The comments were posted to Twitter in the hours before Trump is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-miami-arraignment-dedicated-fans-pardon-challenge-and-bomb-scare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to appear in a Miami federal courtroom to be arraigned following a grand jury indictment that resulted from Smith&#8217;s investigation into the former president&#8217;s handling of classified documents after leaving office. Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/06/09/us/trump-indictment-document-annotated.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faces</a> 31 alleged violations of the Espionage Act for &#8220;willful retention&#8221; of national defense information as well as counts related to obstruction of justice and false statements. Smith <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/special-counsel-jack-smith-vows-speedy-trial-for-trump-cites-gravity-of-alleged-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week his team would &#8220;seek a speedy trial&#8221; in that case.
James also said she thinks &#8220;everyone is concerned&#8221; about the appointment of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee, to oversee the documents case, noting that her rulings could dictate the pace of the trial.
Some legal experts have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cannon-fire-the-familiar-judge-overseeing-trumps-docs-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> on Cannon to recuse herself while citing past rulings tied to the documents matter, particularly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/court-blocks-special-master-review-of-mar-a-lago-documents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one</a> in favor of Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/special-counsel-jack-smith-is-trying-trumps-document-case-in-florida-heres-why" target="_blank" rel="noopener">request</a> for a special master to weed out privileged materials the FBI seized from Trump&#8217;s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, which got overturned by a federal appeals court.
Trump has already been criminally charged in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/famed-attorney-dershowitz-blasts-doj-bragg-over-trump-investigations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hush-money case</a> brought by Bragg, and a trial has been scheduled for March. Trump may also face charges more charges <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/georgia-prosecutor-reveal-charging-decisions-trump-probe-summer-rcna81242" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this summer</a> from the inquiry run by Willis, who is investigating his conduct in relation to the 2020 election. A trial has been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/judge-trump-trial-date-ny-civil-fraud-case-written-stone-2023-03-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set</a> for October in the $250 million lawsuit James brought against Trump, members of his family, and the Trump Organization.
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Pete Skandalakis, director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, cast doubt upon the assertion that the documents case could disrupt the scheduling of others. Though he noted some exceptions that could lead to a pause, Skandalakis said his research staffers have found “no law that gives the federal government the ability to go first,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/live-updates/trump-federal-indictment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a>.
Trump broadly denies any wrongdoing, claiming he is being subject to a &#8220;witch hunt&#8221; as he runs again for the presidency in 2024. Trump is expected to deliver remarks Tuesday evening after traveling to his club in Bedminster, New Jersey, following his arraignment.

Fed Prosecution Will Disrupt Other Trump Cases, NY Attorney General Predicts

2024 Election

Alvin Bragg

New Yorkers surrendered thousands of firearms to the State over the weekend in exchange for gift cards ranging from $25 to $500 at a statewide, no-questions-asked &#8220;landmark event&#8221; coordinated by the attorney general&#8217;s office.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James said officials collected more than 3,000 guns at nine buyback locations throughout the state, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/3000-guns-surrendered-new-york-day-exchange-gift/story?id=98967589">ABC</a> reported. Authorities did not ask for any personal information of those giving up their guns, including names, addresses, or proof of ownership.
&#8220;Gun violence has caused so many avoidable tragedies and robbed us of so many innocent New Yorkers,&#8221; James said in a news release.
According to the news outlet, gun owners who turned in their firearms were awarded $500 gift cards for turning in rifles, handguns, and untraceable &#8220;ghost guns.&#8221; Additional handguns surrendered received an extra $150 gift card. Participants also received $25 and $75 cards for non-working, antique, or 3D-printed replica rifles and shotguns.
Syracuse authorities reported the crime rate skyrocketed up to 133% homicides in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same time frame last year.
Residents in the central city of New York reportedly turned in 751 firearms.
&#8220;Every gun that we removed out of Syracuse homes and off the streets is a potential tragedy averted and another step in protecting communities throughout New York state,&#8221; James said.
At a news conference, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh of the Independence Party of New York blamed the rise in crime on gun ownership expansion, condemning federal and state officials nationwide for &#8220;abdicating their responsibility&#8221; to sell and handle firearms safely.
&#8220;There are too many damn guns in this country. They&#8217;re everywhere. And we have too many states that are abdicating their responsibility to ensure that guns are being sold safely,&#8221; Walsh said at the news conference. &#8220;And our federal government is abdicating their responsibility to ensure that guns are being handled safely.&#8221;
Walsh said the authorities seized and removed 76 guns from the community this year compared to 55 at the same point in 2022.
Some 90% of the guns seized by police are from out of state, he said.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez told <a href="https://abc7ny.com/nyc-guns-brooklyn-gun-buyback/13196456/">local media</a> authorities received 90 guns. Other sites in the Bronx and at the Attorney General&#8217;s regional office in Suffolk County also collected firearms previously owned by residents exercising their constitutional rights.
Retired law enforcement from Newfane Arnie Jonathan reportedly exchanged his father&#8217;s gun at an event at St. John&#8217;s African Methodist Episcopal Church in Niagara Falls, which received 505 guns in three hours.
Jonathan told <a href="https://buffalonews.com/news/local/ny-attorney-generals-gun-buyback-event-recovers-500-guns-in-niagara-falls/article_b31b2bc4-e6a7-11ed-a335-ff8a0f34644d.html">local media</a> that he wasn&#8217;t sure if turning in a gun was &#8220;good or bad.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m between whether it&#8217;s good or bad,&#8221; Jonathan said. &#8220;These aren&#8217;t the people they need to worry about here. We&#8217;re just getting some gift cards that will make our lives a little bit easier next week.&#8221;
Jonathan added that those who turned in their firearm likely wouldn&#8217;t use them for violence, expressing further concern that some would regret their decision if they were in a dangerous situation.
&#8220;The scary part is that there&#8217;s this many people here right now,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You know how much there is out there that isn&#8217;t being turned in?&#8221;
Pew Research <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/08/30/gun-buybacks-are-popular-but-are-they-effective">reported</a> cities across America have run gun buyback programs since the 1970s.

A gun buyback event held in Brooklyn

Guns For Gift Cards: New Yorkers Surrendered 3,000 Firearms To State Gov. For Cash

2nd Amendment

Gun Buybacks

Gun Control

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-lawmaker-says-trump-drama-is-like-a-spanish-soap-opera" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump show</a> is returning to New York this week, as another probe of the former president’s business dealings by a Democrat prosecutor who vowed to “get” him proceeds.
Trump is due back in New York Thursday to be deposed in a $250 million civil suit brought by state <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-barr-reveals-what-he-thinks-will-happen-next-in-letitia-james-civil-lawsuit-against-the-trump-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Attorney General Letitia James</a>. The appearance comes just one week after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg formally charged Trump in connection with the alleged Stormy Daniels “hush money” payments.
“This case is complex, but it is not complicated,” Judge Arthur Engoron said last month of the civil suit. “Essentially, it all boils down to whether (Trump’s) statements of financial interest are true or false.”
James claims Trump and others at his Trump Organization deceived lenders and insurance companies by inflating the value of his assets in order to get loans for his real estate and resort business, then undervaluing them for tax purposes. James is seeking to recover more than $250 million in “ill-gotten gains” and to bar the Trumps from doing business in New York. Engoron has set a trial date of October 2.
Trump, who is expected to fly into New York on Wednesday, has already been deposed once in the case last August, when he reportedly invoked the Fifth Amendment repeatedly.
Trump faces a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/e-jean-carroll-suing-trump-for-defamation-after-he-claimed-her-sexual-assault-accusations-against-him-were-false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third legal</a> case in New York, in a civil defamation suit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, who accuses the former president of raping her some 30 years ago and defaming her by denying it. The judge in that case asked both parties to inform the court in writing by April 20 if they intend to be present for the trial.
The deposition is not likely to attract as much attention as the April 4 arrest and booking of Trump, who pleaded not guilty to a 34-counts of falsifying business records, allegedly to hide payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about a 2006 tryst. Trump claims the fling never happened and that his former fixer, Michael Cohen, acted on his own in paying off Daniels.
Legal experts have criticized Bragg’s case, saying that the falsification of business records would normally be misdemeanors, and Bragg’s legal theory to elevate them to felonies by claiming the payments were a campaign expense is a reach.
Like Bragg, James campaigned on a pledge to prosecute Trump, who she once called an “illegitimate president.” Trump has called James, who is black, a &#8220;racist in reverse.&#8221;
 “I will never be afraid to challenge this illegitimate president,” James said in a 2018 <a href="https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1040673535503392768" data-tracking="mpos=&amp;mid=&amp;lindex=&amp;lcol=" aria-label="video during the campaign (opens in a new window)">video </a>during her successful campaign to be attorney general. “I believe that this president is incompetent. I believe that this president is ill-equipped to serve in the highest office of this land. And I believe that he is an embarrassment to all that we stand for.”

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