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Former President Donald Trump verbally assailed Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing his civil fraud trial, after Engoron forced some of Trump’s children to testify.
“This Rigged Trial, brought by the Racist New York State A.G. Letitia James before Trump and developer Hating Judge, Arthur Engoron, which should have never been brought in that the so-called STAR WITNESS, SleazeBag Lawyer (for many people) Michael Cohen, admitted last week on the stand that he LIED, and also that your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, or anyone from the Trump Organization, NEVER TOLD HIM TO INFLATE VALUES ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, the opposite of what he told the A.G. in order to get this HOAX started,” Trump railed on his Truth Social platform.
“Therefore, on that fact alone, this Fake Case should be dismissed. Additionally, however, the Financial Statements Values are Conservative (LOW!), Mar-a-Lago is worth MUCH MORE than $18,000,000, there is a 100% Disclaimer Clause on the 1st page of the Statements, the Banks and Insurance Companies were paid in full, no defaults, they all made money, and there is no Victim (except me!),” he wrote.
Trump then added: “Leave my children alone, Engoron. You are a disgrace to the legal profession!”
As noted by NBC News, Donald Trump Jr. took the stand on Wednesday, Eric Trump on Thursday, and Ivanka Trump — who is not a defendant in the case thanks to an earlier appeals court ruling — was called by Engoron anyway and will appear on Friday.
Both of Trump’s sons are currently executives at his company, while Ivanka is a former executive and White House adviser.
NBC added:
Ivanka Trump had challenged the AG’s subpoena for her to testify in the case, but Engoron ruled Friday she should take the stand. He gave her time to appeal the ruling.
Trump’s attorneys had argued Ivanka Trump should be spared from testifying because an appeals court ruled earlier this year that she be removed as a defendant in the case over statute of limitations issues.
The lawyers contended the AG’s office was trying “to continue to harass and burden President Trump’s daughter long after” the appeals court “mandated she be dismissed from the case.”
They also argued that the AG waited too long to subpoena her and that the office doesn’t have jurisdiction over her because she no longer lives in the state.
James’ prosecutors countered that Ivanka, as a former White House official, nevertheless still has important information to share.
“While no longer a Defendant in this action, she indisputably has personal knowledge of facts relevant to the claims against the remaining individual and entity Defendants. But even beyond that, Ms. Trump remains financially and professionally intertwined with the Trump Organization and other Defendants and can be called as a person still under their control,” James argued in a court filing.
The AG said they wanted to question Ivanka about her father’s former D.C. hotel, adding that she profited from the sale.
“Ms. Trump remains under the control of the Trump Organization, including through her ongoing and substantial business ties to the organization,” James argued, adding that Ivanka “does not seem to be averse to her involvement in the family business when it comes to owning and collecting proceeds from the OPO (hotel) sale, the Trump Organization purchasing insurance for her and her companies, managing her household staff and credit card bills, renting her apartment or even paying her legal fees in this action. It is only when she is tasked with answering for that involvement that she disclaims any connection.”
James has accused the former president of inflating the value of his company’s assets in order to obtain more favorable loans. She is seeking $250 million in damages.
Trump has denied the allegations and noted that not a single bank that he did business with was harmed.