Donald Trump accused of lying to lenders as civil fraud trial testimony concludes
Donald Trump accused of lying to lenders as civil fraud trial testimony concludes
prativad 
In his civil fraud trial in New York, former US President Donald Trump is accused of lying to lenders about his wealth, and the trial’s testimony came to a conclusion on Wednesday.
The New York attorney general filed a lawsuit with the goal of severely restricting Trump’s commercial activities in New York, the state where he owns some of his famous properties, and fining him at least $250 million.
The front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, Donald Trump, has dismissed the lawsuit as a “scam” and denied any wrongdoing.
Following closing arguments on January 11, Justice Arthur Engoron, the presiding judge in the case, is anticipated to render a written decision.
Trump’s financial statements were found to be fake by Engoron, effectively limiting the trial to damages. Trump has an allure.
Expert testimony and financial data were the main focus of the trial, which started on October 2. Additionally, it included carefully followed excursions to the witness stand by Trump, his grown children, and Michael Cohen, his former attorney and fixer.
In a stubborn and meandering testimony in November, Trump admitted that the asset assessments on his financial statements were off, but he said that the banks using the data to price his loans were unaffected by the inaccuracies.
In addition, Trump retaliated against Engoron and elected Democrat Letitia James of New York, alleging that they were biassed against him politically.
At his sporadic court appearances, Trump vented his frustrations to media by making provocative remarks that he said were interfering with his campaign.
Although Trump was free to criticise James and Engoron, he was prohibited from discussing court employees in public due to a restricted gag order that was placed on him after he made a social media post criticising the court’s chief clerk.
For breaking the injunction twice, Engoron fined Trump a total of $15,000. Trump is appealing the charge.
The case might have serious repercussions for Trump’s real estate business, which is the foundation of his enormous fortune and served as his launching pad into politics.
In September, Engoron declared Trump guilty of fraud and revoked the business licences for the properties that made up the bulk of his holdings, such as Manhattan’s 40 Wall Street and Trump Tower.
Trump is almost certain to challenge any decision against him, so that order is on hold while he files an appeal.
As he runs against President Joe Biden in the election of November 2024, Trump is confronted with a plethora of further legal issues, including four criminal cases. He has pleaded not guilty in all four.
(With agency inputs)
