In this article, we will discuss the repeated claims made by former President Donald Trump during his trial in the civil fraud case. Trump and his co-defendants claim that they won the case in the appellate court before the trial began, but in reality, the court issued a narrow ruling only on the scope of the case and did not grant Trump and his partners an actual victory.
Main Facts
New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing Trump and his business associates, including his sons, and the Trump Organization, for allegedly inflating the financial value of assets in financial documents for personal gain. The allegations in the initial lawsuit include more than 200 alleged assets that were falsified in financial documents between 2011 and 2021.
The Appeals Court Did Not Grant Trump Victory in the Case
Trump repeatedly claims that he and his co-defendants have “won on the appeal section” in the case, and he reiterated this claim on Thursday on “Truth Social” and to reporters before entering the courthouse for the trial. However, the appellate court did not grant Trump and his co-defendants victory in the case, although the judges excluded former President Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump from the case in June.
Case Limitations and Court Approval
The appellate court found that the allegations against Ivanka Trump were barred under the statute of limitations, and also generally ruled that the state cannot present allegations regarding financial transactions made before 2014 for some defendants bound by a compensation agreement (which suspends the statute of limitations for a specified period), or before 2016 for other defendants.
This constrained the scope of the case, but the appeals court still allowed Judge Arthur Engoron, who presides over the trial, the discretion to determine who falls under the compensation agreement, and did not dismiss the case entirely.
While Engoron adhered to the statute of limitations in the case, he allowed the state to present evidence from before 2014 or 2016 if it helped substantiate allegations of misconduct that fall within the statute of limitations, meaning the state is still able to present a number of claims as part of the case that fit within the necessary timeframe.
Other Appeals Court Rulings
In addition to the ruling that limits the scope of the case, several other rulings have been issued by the appellate court in the case, often against the former president. Trump appealed the pre-trial ruling in which Engoron found that the former president and his co-defendants were liable for fraud by inflating asset values (and the trial is still ongoing regarding other charges), and while the appellate court is still considering that – it denied a delay of the trial while reviewing it – the judges decided to stay part of Engoron’s ruling ordering the cancellation of Trump’s business certificates, extending that stay on Thursday. The appellate court also allowed the trial to proceed after Trump attempted to dismiss some state claims under the statute of limitations, rejecting the request to stay proceedings while considering this matter, and reinstated a gag order imposed by Engoron preventing Trump and others from talking about court personnel.
What to Watch For
Trump is attending the trial on Thursday before testifying for the second time on Monday. The former president is set to be the final witness for the defense before the defense rests its case next week, and after the state presents its rebuttals, the trial will conclude for the rest of the year. Closing arguments are not scheduled until January 11, and Engoron will issue a ruling later. Trump and his co-defendants could face serious consequences if Engoron rules against them, including a $250 million fine and being barred from running businesses in New York.
Background
Home
James filed a lawsuit against Trump and his accusers in September 2022 after a years-long investigation, accusing the former president and his associates of inflating numbers in financial documents related to properties like Mar-a-Lago and Trump’s apartment in Manhattan. Trump attacked the allegations against him and his company, accusing James and Ngoro of conducting a “political witch hunt” against him to disrupt his presidential campaign. The former president and his lawyers asserted that they committed no wrongdoing and that their valuations were personal figures based on his experience in real estate. As part of his defense, Trump repeated several false claims regarding legal proceedings and his finances, including that Ngoro dismissed “80%” of the state’s case, that a provision in the relevant financial documents invalidated any inflated estimates in the statements, and made sworn statements blaming others for discrepancies in the size of his apartment in Manhattan.
In-depth Reading
Trump reaches New York fraud trial before testifying for the last time (Forbes)
Appeals court rules to remove Ivanka Trump as co-defendant in civil fraud case against Donald Trump (CNN)
Tape reveals Trump lied about penthouse and undermines his testimony in court (Forbes)
Trump’s fraud trial: judge rejects former president’s claim to dismiss “80%” of attorney general’s case (Forbes)
Inside the courtroom: Trump attacks from the witness stand (Forbes)
Bad accounting or fraud? Trump’s profit numbers don’t add up (Forbes)
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