fraud trial That could prevent former President Donald Trump from doing business in New York, and on Wednesday he delved into the question of who — his company or a hired accountant — was responsible for the state’s alleged fraudulent financial statements.
Trump sat at the defense table for a third day as accountants took the stand and his lawyers tried to blame the accounting firm for any problems with the statement. But lawyers for New York Attorney General Letitia James are trying to prove that the accountants relied solely on information provided by Trump and his company.
Meanwhile, outside court, Trump’s lawyers appealed a key pretrial ruling: engage in fraudulent behavior By driving up the value of valuable assets. The trial involved six claims that remained in the litigation after the ruling.
Trump denies any wrongdoing.This is how the trial goes He is leading the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nominationFor him and the real estate empire that launched him into public life, the stakes are high.
The pretrial ruling, which is being appealed, could see him lose control of Trump Tower and some other properties. At trial, James sought a $250 million fine and a ban on Trump doing business in New York.
The case centers on the “Statement of Financial Condition,” an annual snapshot of Trump’s wealth provided to banks, insurance companies and others.
James said these remarks were grossly exaggerated. For example, his Trump Tower penthouse was said to be nearly three times larger than it actually was, and his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida was grossly overvalued at $739 million, she said.
Trump insisted that these comments actually understated the value of luxury properties. He also stressed that the documents came with a disclaimer and said he believed the figures should not be trusted and that lenders should do their homework.
But Donald Bender, an accountant who prepared financial statements for years, testified Tuesday that the Trump Organization did not always provide all the information needed to accurately produce the documents. Another accountant, Camron Harris, testified Wednesday that his work on the 2021 statement involved checking information provided by Trump’s company for “obvious errors” and formatting it for presentation .
“We do not verify the accuracy of any information provided,” Harris said. His company’s working agreement with Trump’s company explicitly states that the accountants “will not express an opinion or any conclusions or provide any assurances regarding the financial statements.”
Trump’s lawyer, Jesus M. Suarez, sought to paint the accountant as sloppy during his cross-examination of Bender on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Suarez showed video of pretrial testimony Wednesday in which Bender said he could not recall consulting any experts in preparing Trump’s financial statements. Suarez noted, however, that Bender’s firm tells clients it may need expert help valuing art, jewelry and certain types of securities in closely held businesses and real estate.
When Bender acknowledged Tuesday that he missed changes in information about the size of the Trump Tower penthouse, Suarez told the accountant that Trump’s company and employees were “going through hell” because “you missed it.”
Bender countered that it was the Trump Organization’s fault and “we didn’t catch that.”
As cross-examination progressed on Wednesday, detailed inquiries were made into specific aspects of personal financial statements. Judge Arthur Ngoren Banging his fist, he said the defense ignored his instructions to streamline questioning.
“This is ridiculous,” said the judge, who was hearing the case without a jury because state law does not allow juries in such proceedings.
Trump’s lawyers complained that the judge undermined their ability to defend the former president.
“As a lawyer, I never have to negotiate how to ask questions,” said defense attorney Christopher Keys.
Trump made familiar remarks outside the court on Wednesday, calling James “incompetent,” describing her as part of a broader effort by Democrats to undermine his 2024 prospects and calling the case a “bogus” and the trial a “disgrace.” ”.
“Why participate? Because I want to point out to the media how corrupt it is,” he said as he left the court during a lunch break. He traveled to Florida and is expected to return to court in a few weeks when he is called to testify.
James later described his comments as offensive, baseless and “devoid of any facts and/or any evidence.”
“The Donald Trump show is over. This was nothing more than a political stunt. Fundraising stopped. Now, we can move forward with the trial and we believe justice will be served,” James told reporters outside the court.
Trump often vented his frustrations about the trial, James and Ngoren, a fellow Democrat, in court hallways and on social media.
The judge comes after Trump attacked Ngolon’s chief legal clerk on social media on Tuesday. impose limited gag order, ordered all trial participants to refrain from personal attacks on its staff. A judge ordered Trump to remove “disparaging, untrue and personally identifiable posts,” which the former president deleted.
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