Donald Trump and his sons, Don Jr. and Eric, are set to appear as witnesses in a $250 million civil fraud trial against the former president and his companies. The trial, brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office, alleges that the Trumps have been exaggerating their business assets for years. The witness list also includes Allen Weisselberg, the former CFO of the Trump Organization, who pleaded guilty to a 15-year tax fraud scheme. Additionally, Ivanka Trump and former Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen are named as witnesses.
The trial is presided over by Judge Arthur Engoron, who partially sided with the AG’s office in a ruling earlier this week, finding that Trump had committed repeated acts of fraud. Trump, however, criticized Engoron as a “Trump hating” judge who violated his civil rights. The trial had been temporarily stayed but is now set to proceed. Cohen’s testimony before Congress, where he claimed that Trump routinely exaggerated his assets in financial documents, sparked the AG’s investigation. Cohen himself has pleaded guilty to several charges and was sentenced to three years in prison.
The civil fraud trial is anticipated to last until December 22 and features a substantial number of witnesses. The Trumps have denied any wrongdoing, with Donald Trump accusing James of engaging in a partisan “witch hunt.” The trial will shed further light on the alleged fraudulent activities of the Trump Organization and determine the outcome of this high-stakes legal battle.