Donald Trump plans to attend closing arguments in his civil fraud trial in New York on Thursday, where the former president's business empire in the state is at stake.
Trump, however, is not expected to speak in court, after Judge Arthur Engoron rejected a request because Trump would not accept restrictions on what he could discuss.
The last-minute drama over Trump's role in the final day of the civil fraud trial sums up what has been a bitter, bickering circus that has spanned three months and pitted Trump and his lawyers against the attorney general's office. of New York and the judge. supervising the case.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $370 million in damages and to bar Trump from doing business in the state, alleging that Trump, his adult children and his company defrauded banks and insurance companies by inflating the value of Trump's assets.
Engoron already ruled that Trump and his co-defendants were responsible for persistent and repeated fraud before the trial began. The 11-week trial late last year was held to determine the extent of damages and six additional claims by the attorney general, including conspiracy, issuing false financial statements, falsifying business records and insurance fraud.
Trump has criticized the trial, accusing the attorney general and the judge of engaging in a political attack against him. He attended the trial for several days and testified at the trial, turning the witness stand and his statements outside the courtroom into extensions of his campaign rallies.
“THIS IS A MANIPULATED AND UNFAIR TRIAL: NO JURY, NO VICTIMS, A BIG FINANCIAL STATEMENT,” Trump said on his Truth Social account on Wednesday.
Engoron will not issue a decision on Thursday. He said he will issue a written order by the end of the month at the earliest. Trump's lawyers already appealed Engoron's initial ruling against Trump and made clear repeatedly during the case that they plan to appeal his subsequent decision as well.
