Trump’s defense appeals company fraud verdict
New York, Oct. 4 (EFE).- Donald Trump’s defense attorneys on Wednesday appealed the summary judgment that a week ago declared the former president responsible for persistent fraud in the Trump Organization for inflating company assets to obtain economic benefits.
Trump’s defense, which had already anticipated taking action in response to the verdict, filed the appeal documents during the third day of the civil trial.
The trial is set to resolve six other counts brought by the New York District Attorney’s Office regarding alleged fraud at the Trump Organization.
Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, his company, and two employees were responsible for years of fraud.
Engoron ordered the revocation of their companies’ licenses to operate in the state, resolving the main charge in the case and putting the Trump family’s income in check.
Since the trial began on Monday, Trump has appeared in court daily, taking the opportunity to defend the validity of his asset valuations and his businesses in general.
He has also used the occasion to attack Judge Egron, Attorney General Letitia James, and the trial, which he has repeatedly called a witch hunt.
On Tuesday, after posting a photo of the judge’s secretary along with a personal attack, the former president was reprimanded by Engoron and given an order to limit his use of social media, a measure also imposed on lawyers for both sides.
During the recess of this third day, the Republican favorite for the White House launched a fundraising campaign stating that he had “left the courthouse for the day”; it is unclear if he will appear again.
Appearing outside the courtroom where former President Donald Trump has railed against her for three days, New York Attorney General Letitia James, who remained silent yesterday, spoke out.
“I will not be bullied,” James said. “Mr. Trump is no longer here. The Donald Trump show is over. This was nothing more than a political stunt, a fundraising stop.” she added, according to CNN.
So far, the trial, which will last until the end of December, has focused on the testimony of a former accountant for the firm Mazars, which prepared the financial statements – on which the case is based – for the Trump Organization and the former president.
The accountant, Donald Bender, fully immersed himself in the accounting issues and declared during the interrogation by the prosecution that the Trump Organization was responsible for providing him with its data and that, for some years, it hid relevant documents from him while the defense today tried to reduce his credibility. EFE
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