Former President Donald Trump’s (R) civil fraud trial continues to make headlines, as he spars with Judge Arthur Engoron and Attorney General Letitia James in an attempt to defend his alleged actions. President Trump is accused of falsifying his net worth to investors and potential buyers of his property.
“I’m worth billions of dollars more than the financial statements,” said Trump. He continued to accuse the state lawyer, saying “You go around and try and demean me and try and hurt me, probably for political reasons.”
President Trump’s fiery defense of himself is based on his belief that his statements about his finances had been taken too literally. However, many of the statements that he claims were hyperbolic had a difference of billions of dollars, thus potentially costing buyers billions of dollars in the process.
“Not one bank lost money. Not one insurance company lost money,” claimed Trump.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is asking that the former president, his company, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump pay $300 million. Furthermore, James’s lawsuit asks for the defendants to be banned from doing business in New York.
The civil fraud trial has resulted in various reprimands of the disgruntled defendant. Having been previously warned to not violate the gag order put on him by Judge Arthur Engoron, Trump was fined $10,000 for disobeying the rule.
After hearing his former attorney Michael Cohen's testimony, Trump made statements, both in-person and on social media, claiming that someone very "partisan" was sitting next to the judge. These accusations put the former president in trouble as he ran the risk of receiving a financial penalty for his words.
Judge Engoron found Trump's comments to be directed at his law clerk, which he deemed to be unacceptable. Trump, however, claimed that his comments were targeted at the judge's law clerk.
Engoron awarded him a penalty of $10,000 and gave him a stern warning to not do it again.
