According to Meidiate, former President Donald Trump made his way to a New York City courthouse on Monday morning to face civil charges alleging that he inflated his assets and engaged in business fraud.
Prior to entering the courtroom, Trump paused to address the press, characterizing the proceedings as a continuation of what he referred to as “the single biggest witch hunt of all time.” He also launched criticism at Judge Arthur Engoran, labeling him a “rogue judge.” Trump didn’t spare New York Attorney General Letitia James from his tirade, branding her as a “racist” and a “horror show.” He continued his critique in subsequent campaign emails and remarks, asserting:
“She used this to run for governor. She failed in her attempt to run for governor. She had virtually no following. She came back and she said, ‘Well, now I will go back to get Trump again.’ And this is what we have. It is a scam and a sham!”
In the previous week, Judge Engoran ruled that Trump, along with his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, had committed fraud by inflating the value of Trump Tower, falsely claiming it was worth three times its actual value. Engoran’s ruling stated:
“In defendants’ world: rent-regulated apartments are worth the same as unregulated apartments; restricted land is worth the same as unrestricted land; restrictions can evaporate into thin air; a disclaimer by one party casting responsibility on another party exonerates the other party’s lies.”
Engoran added, “That is a fantasy world, not the real world.” He had already determined that Trump and his sons were liable for “persistent and repeated fraud.” On Monday, he was set to rule on six other claims, including falsifying business records, conspiracy to falsify business records, issuing false financial statements, conspiracy to falsify false financial statements, insurance fraud, and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, as reported by CNN.
Letitia James is seeking $250 million in damages, a prohibition on the Trumps conducting business in New York, and a five-year ban on business transactions involving the Trump company.
BREAKING: In New York, Trump slams New York Attorney General Letitia James as corrupt: "It’s a witch hunt. It’s a disgrace. We have a corrupt attorney general…It’s all run by DOJ which is corrupt." WATCH pic.twitter.com/Xxnp8gbDVk
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) October 2, 2023
