The decision in the civil fraud trial involving former President Donald Trump has been postponed until early to mid-February, as per a representative of the New York court.
It has been noted that for eleven weeks, the nonjury show trial in the Soviet-style was held in court. Judge Arthur Engoron, a radical leftist, had earlier declared he would render a decision by January 31.
According to The Guardian, the decision will be made through a “written filing,” and the timing of early to mid-February is only a “rough estimate.”
Although the reason for the delay is unknown, observers of the judicial system have surmised that it might be due to a last-minute letter received from a retired federal judge. In a letter dated January 26, former federal judge Barbara Jones—a Clinton appointee—stated that she had discovered “certain deficiencies” regarding a $48 million loan that Trump had taken out in 2012.
The Guardian reported:
Though the court did not specify why Engoron is taking extra time on his verdict, reports have suggested a letter from the former federal judge Barbara Jones, sent on 26 January, is likely a factor in the delay.
Jones has been serving as the court-appointed monitor overseeing the Trump Organization’s financial reports since November 2022.
In her letter, Jones told Engoron that she identified “certain deficiencies in the financial information that I have reviewed, including disclosures that are either incomplete, present results inconsistently, and/or contain errors”.
Included in Jones’s letter were her concerns about a $48m loan Trump received in 2012 by an entity affiliated with his building in Chicago. Trump reported the loan, which has no formal loan agreement, on his financial statement as a liability for multiple years. But in conversations with the Trump Organization, the company determined that “this loan never existed”.
Jones had warned that while she is “not in a position to conclude whether fraudulent activity occurred”, she noted that “absent steps to address [the deficiencies], my observations suggest misstatements and errors may continue to occur”.
Judge Engoron had ruled that Trump engaged in fraud and ordered the dissolution of Trump’s New York businesses. The New York appellate court stayed Engoron’s order.
It is noted that radical Marxist New York Attorney General Letitia James sought $370 million in ‘damages’ when there is no victim in this fraud case and she is also seeking to ban Trump and his sons from operating any businesses in New York. She accused Trump of inflating his assets and defrauding lenders and insurance companies.James originally sought $250 million in damages from Trump.
