Former US President Donald Trump and his sons are facing what he has slammed as a “sham” civil fraud trial in New York. They have been accused of inflating the value of their real estate and financial assets, potentially jeopardizing Trump’s business empire and political aspirations.
Former US President Donald Trump was in court Monday for what he slammed as a “sham” civil fraud trial against him and two of his sons, with the case threatening the Republican’s business empire as he campaigns to retake the White House.
New York Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled that Trump and his sons, Eric and Don Jr., committed fraud by inflating the value of the real estate and financial assets of the Trump Organization for years.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is now seeking $250 million in penalties and the removal of Trump and his sons from management of the family empire.
James accused the former president on Monday of “persistent and repeated fraud” and said “justice will prevail.”
Trump, arriving in court, denounced the case as a “scam” and a “witch hunt.”
In addition to this civil case, Trump also faces several major criminal proceedings in the months ahead.
Trump will then be back in New York state court, this time on criminal hush money charges, and later in a Florida federal court, where he is accused of mishandling classified documents after leaving office.
In the New York civil case, Engoron ruled that Trump, his two eldest sons, and other Trump Organization executives lied to tax collectors, lenders, and insurers for years in a scheme that exaggerated the value of their properties by $812 million to $2.2 billion between 2014 and 2021.
As a result, the judge revoked the business licenses that allowed the Trump Organization to operate some of its New York properties.
There are likely to be dozens of witnesses called to testify at the trial, including Trump himself and former financial director of the Trump Organization, Allen Weisselberg, who served time in prison after pleading guilty to tax fraud in a separate case brought against the business.
Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
