New York AG Sues Trump Family for Financial Fraud

1 min ago
Trump exits as court breaks for lunch

From CNN's Aaron Cooper

'During the four opening statements of the civil fraud trial, former President Donald Trump sat at the defense table between two of his lawyers.

He never spoke to Judge Arthur Engoron.

Trump often faced forward, watching the small video monitor in front of him which displayed the opening presentations by the state and his defense lawyer.

Trump occasionally sat with his arms folded or leaned over to whisper to his lawyers. When Alina Habba and Clifford Robert, who are lawyers for the other defendants, spoke without video presentations, Trump looked at them intently.

Habba, who represents Trump, Allen Weisselberg, Jeffrey McConney and other employees of the Trump Organization, at times turned to him when she was discussing the valuation of his Mar-a-Lago resort.

As Trump’s lawyer, Chris Kise, answered questions from the judge, Trump wrote notes and passed them to him.

Eric Trump, who is also a defendant, sat in the front row of the courtroom gallery, on the defense side behind and to his father’s left.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James sat in the front row on the other side of the courtroom, behind the former president and about 15 feet to his right.

The former president only once looked at James, as he left the courtroom for the lunch break, turning his head as he walked past where she was seated.

Eric Trump stopped and shook her hands using both of his hands as he followed his father out of the courtroom.

Court resumes at 2:15 p.m. ET after a lunch break.

18 min ago
Watching Trump's body language in court
From CNN's Aaron Cooper




Former President Donald Trump, right, sits in the courtroom at New York Supreme Court, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in New York. Seth Wenig/Pool/AP


Former President Donald Trump has not expressed much emotion in the courtroom for the first session of the criminal fraud trial.

During the four opening statements, Trump sat at the defense table between two of his lawyers. He never spoke to the judge. Trump often faced forward, watching the small video monitor in front of him which displayed the opening presentations by the state and his defense lawyer.

When Alina Habba and Cliff Robert, who are lawyers for Trump's co-defendants, spoke without video presentations, Trump looked at them intently. Habba, who represents Allen Weiselberg, Jeff McConney and other employees of the Trump Organization, at times turned to Trump when she was discussing the valuation of his Mar-a-Lago resort.

As Trump’s lawyer, Christopher Kise, answered questions from the judge, Trump wrote notes and passed them to him. Eric Trump, who is also a defendant, sat in the front row of the courtroom gallery, on the defense side behind and to his father’s left. New York State Attorney General Letitia James sat in the front row on the other side of the courtroom, behind the former president and about 15 feet to his right.

Trump only once looked at James, as he left the courtroom for the lunch break, turning his head as he walked past where she was seated. Eric Trump stopped and shook her hands using both of his hands as he followed his father out of the courtroom.

21 min ago
Attorney for Trump’s adult sons questions Michael Cohen’s credibility in opening statement
From CNN's Lauren del Valle, Aaron Cooper, Kara Scannell and Laura Dolan

The attorney for Donald Trump’s adult sons said he “vigorously” disagrees with most of the opening statement given on behalf of the attorney general.

Cliff Robert, who represents Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, began his opening statement by attacking Kevin Wallace, who spoke for New York Attorney General Letitia James' office.

“I vigorously on behalf of my clients disagree with just about everything Mr. Wallace said,” Robert began.

“You need to judge credibility,” Robert said, urging the judge to determine the credibility of the people who were involved in the transactions, namely Michael Cohen.

“I don’t think that could be overstated,” he added.

"Their major lynchpin is Michael Cohen, so when you talk about credibility, you're going to have a guy who lies to everyone, who is a convicted felon," Robert said. "And he is a fixture of what their case is about."
Robert argued that there was nothing materially wrong with the valuations of financial conditions that Don Jr. and Eric signed, and they would not be “running away” from them.

“They relied on the work product of others” when they signed the statements of financial condition after Trump took office, Robert said.

25 min ago
Judge pushes back after Trump lawyer attacks New York attorney general in opening statement
From CNN's Lauren del Valle, Aaron Cooper, Kara Scannell and Jeremy Herb




Justice Arthur Engoron of the state Supreme Court listens to opening arguments by Kevin Wallace during the trial of former President Donald Trump, his adult sons, the Trump Organization and others in a civil fraud case brought by James, at a Manhattan courthouse, in New York City, on Monday. Jane Rosenberg/Reuters


Judge Arthur Engoron rebutted attacks from Donald Trump's attorney Alina Habba against New York Attorney General Letitia James, responding to her opening statement and getting into a debate with the attorney over her claims.

In her statement, Habba attacked James for saying in her campaign for attorney general that she was going to “get Trump.”

Engoron, who ruled last week that Trump and his co-defendants were liable for fraud in the attorney general’s civil case against Trump, responded by noting that the defense already tried to dismiss the case claiming that James brought it as a “witch hunt” against Trump.

“I denied that,” Engoron said, adding that the ruling was affirmed by a New York appellate court. “So Ms. James’ motivations are no longer at issue in this case, are they?”
Trump intently watched Habba as she sparred with the judge.

"These statements of financial condition were current, current market value. The point is what were they worth then," Engoron said, pushing back on Habba's assertion that the inflated values showed what they could be sold for at some point in the future.

An accounting disclaimer from Mazars, Trump’s former accounting firm, essentially said, “We're relying on the Trump Organization," Engoron said. "That's how I read it.”

“No, your honor," Habba responded, arguing that the Trump Organization relied on Mazars and "they're the accountants."

 

Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) · Twitter
https://twitter.com/MichaelCohen212

At 1:45pm est, join me on @tiktok_us LIVE (@michaelcohen_) for an update to the NYAG Civil Trial
Twitter · 5 mins ago

For 5 years, I have called for Donald’s Day Of Reckoning. The day is here and accountability will be had! #TeamCohen
Twitter · 4 hours ago

#TeamCohen
Twitter · 3 hours ago
Trump in NYC Court for $250,000,000 Civil Fraud Trial. I’m in studio speaking to ⁦@NormEisen⁩ about all this, and more on a the ⁦@MeaCulpaPodcast⁩. Subscribe. Listen. Rate. Share. #TeamCohen podcasts.apple.com/us/p…
Twitter · 3 hours ago

As Trump heads to Court, I engage in a raw and unfiltered ⁦@MeaCulpaPodcast⁩ conversation with ‘Stormin’ ⁦@NormEisen⁩. Subscribe. Listen. Rate. Share. ⁦@MeidasNetwork⁩ ⁦@ApplePodcasts⁩ ⁦@audioupmedia⁩ @Audioboom⁩ #TeamCohen
Twitter · 6 hours ago
View on Twitter

 

While rare it can be. As for evidence in this case, the trial really just started today so….
This will all be heard in court. Opening statements already spoke about this exact issue.

 

Mazars accountant is first witness for attorney general

From CNN's Jeremy Herb

The New York attorney general’s first witness in Donald Trump’s civil case is Donald Bender, who was Trump's long-time accountant at Mazars USA.

Bender has since retired from the firm and Mazars no longer prepares Trump's taxes. The firm resigned and said Trump's financial statements should no longer be relied upon.

Bender testified that he compiled the statements of financial condition for the Trumps and Trump Organization, meaning he compiled the information given by the Trumps to format it correctly but did no analytics on that information. He said that he did a spectrum of work for Trump Organization and Donald Trump, including statements of financial condition.

“If I saw something that didn’t make sense to me, or bothered me, I would ask him (the client, Trump Organization) about it,” Bender testified.

Trump lawyer Chris Kise objected to the admission of a Mazars engagement letter for Trump’s 2011 statement of financial condition, arguing that it should not be admitted as evidence because it details a claim ruled as time barred by the appellate court.

Judge Arthur Engoron overruled the objection because he said the document could be relevant to fraud perpetrated within the statute of limitations.

“I did no audit or review procedures,” Bender told the court about the engagement organized through the letter, which was dated July 20, 2011.'

 

"Mind-blowing": Legal experts warn that lawyer's incredible "screw-up" is "very ominous" for Trump'

New York Judge Arthur Ergoron on Monday said that he is holding a bench trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James fraud lawsuit against former President Donald Trump because "nobody asked for" a jury trial on either side, The Messenger's Adam Klasfeld reported. "Trump isn't getting a jury trial in his $250m civil fraud suit brought against him by New York AG James because his legal team didn't request one on the paperwork," explained The Guardian's Hugo Lowell.

Legal experts were stunned by the revelation, characterizing it as a blunder by the former president's lawyers. "So Alina Habba didn't demand a jury trial?!" wrote MSNBC legal analyst Katie Phang. "I wonder how Trump feels about this screw-up by his legal team." Former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman called the decision "mind-blowing."

"For Trump to have his fate in the hands of this judge, whom he has vilified, is malpractice by his lawyers and very ominous for him," Litman wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "It's incredibly easy to ask for a jury trial. You just check a box on a form. Hard to believe that Trump understood that his lawyers hadn't done it when he's been savaging the judge who is now the factfinder in his huge fraud trial," he added. "I honestly can't believe that any lawyer hired on such an important case could make this mistake," wrote defense attorney Andrew Fleischman. "But I also can't think of any strategic reason you'd want a bench trial in front of a judge who just sanctioned your lawyers for making frivolous arguments."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mind-blowing-legal-experts-warn-171808012.html

Legal experts: Trump's unhinged attack on judge in court shows he "realizes he's going to lose"

Former President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at the judge overseeing his trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James' civil fraud lawsuit in Manhattan.

The former president referred to Judge Arthur Engoron as a "rogue judge" while speaking to reporters inside the courthouse, claiming the judge had undervalued his properties in a partial summary judgment handed down last week ruling that Trump had persistently committed fraud. "And he's a disgrace to people that call themselves judges," the ex-president told reporters. "And his clerk should not be allowed to be in his ear on every single question. You take a look at what's happening with her. She hates Trump more than he does."

Trump also slammed James, calling her lawsuit "a scam and a sham."

"We have a racist attorney general who is a horror show!" Trump added. "She ran on the basis of she was going to get Trump before she even knew anything about me!"




https://www.yahoo.com/news/legal-experts-trumps-unhinged-attack-193525011.html

 

'How Forbes Exposed Trump’s Lies About The Size Of His Penthouse'

'Here’s the original Forbes story, now cited in the civil lawsuit against Trump, on how Trump faked the size of his penthouse, republished in full:'

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasew...ut-the-size-of-his-penthouse/?sh=3a4c20e358ec

 

'Trump Pushes Lie That He Is Unfairly Not Receiving A Jury Trial'

'He isn't getting a jury trial because his less-than-talented lawyers forgot to ask for one'

snip:

'Trump told the press after leaving the opening day of his NY fraud trial Monday that "it's very unfair I don't have a jury," despite the reason for that being his terrible legal team missed the deadline to request a jury trial.

Predictably, Trump is spinning not having a jury as a result of his Team's incompetence into a claim that he is being persecuted by the legal system; a lie that his cult will devour.

Trump's method is to throw lines like this out to see what sticks. If in the next 24 hours X (formerly Twitter) is on fire with talk of his persecution for being denied a jury trial, he will run with that lie until the next one presents itself.'



cont
https://www.meidastouch.com/news/trump-pushes-lie-that-he-is-unfairly-not-receiving-a-jury-trial

 

TRAITOR tRump sure seems to think so.

 

“She”, already succeeded, they’re deciding how how punitive it’s going to be.

 

What you’re saying even if he fails as a real estate developer and business man he still has his circus.

 

This is what happens when you select your first lawyer on the case based on cup size....

 

New York Post

 

Fine! If my monitors don’t get coffee spewed on them occasionally they don’t work right. Wouldn’t be funny if weren’t so true.

 

Day 2 updates


15m ago / 10:27 AM EDT

'Engoron pushes back against Trump's claim that he tossed most of the AG's case'
Dareh Gregorian and Adam Reiss

Engoron knocked down Trump’s claim yesterday that he’d reversed his earlier ruling and tossed 80% of the attorney general's case. The judge explained that’s not what he did, but that he knows Trump’s side disagrees vigorously and is appealing.

In general, Trump seems to be in a somewhat better mood today, not as angry as he confers with both Alina Habba and Chris Kise.

• SHARE THIS -

18m ago / 10:24 AM EDT
Day 2 of the trial has begun

Summer Concepcion

The second day of Trump's fraud trial has started. Former Trump Organization accountant Donald Bender is back on the witness stand.

• SHARE THIS -

22m ago / 10:20 AM EDT
Trump is in the courtroom
Adam Reiss and Summer Concepcion

Trump has entered the courtroom wearing a blue suit, white shirt and red tie. He is flanked by lawyers Chris Kise and Alina Habba.

• SHARE THIS -

25m ago / 10:17 AM EDT
Trump rails against James before entering courtroom

Summer Concepcion

Shortly after arriving at the courthouse, Trump went on a rant attacking James as he denied wrongdoing in the case.

“This case should be dismissed,” he said. “This is not a case and she should probably be dismissed also because she’s terrible and grossly incompetent.”

“Her numbers are fraudulent, she’s a fraud,” he added. “The numbers are fraudulent, and this case should be dismissed and to get on to violent crime and solving the problems of New York City and New York state.”

He then walked into the courtroom.'


https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/live-blog/trump-fraud-trial-live-updates-rcna118408

 

LOL! I'd just heard this, so came to PF, to share this very point: that Trump has such incompetent lawyers, it might cost him his entire New York State Real Estate empire! His freakin' joke of a lawyer, forgot to check the box requesting a jury trial-- which is always advantageous to a defendant. This would have even been especially helpful to Trump, with all of his True Believers out there (even in New York); it would've only taken one of them, slipping through the jury selection process, for Trump to hold onto everything, at least until a retrial.

But of course, Trump is trying to cast blame for his lawyer's mistake on the Democrats, prosecuting a political vendetta, against him-- as if they'd removed the jury request box from his summons (or whichever document notified Trump of his indictment). I know that some members here, will parrot Trump's baseless claims, but-- as much as the media on the Right seems in synch with the modern Republican loathing of the admission of its own errors-- I am now curious if, and how, this circumstance will be reported in more mainstream, conservative news sources.

I see this as Karma-- though really, it is simply the principle of cause & effect, crashing into the law of averages, to finally catch up with Trump: if he hadn't become known for stiffing his attorneys, on their bills, he would have had a much wider, and more competent pool of lawyers, from which to have chosen. If these are the kind of knuckleheads, he has representing him in his criminal trials-- sweet Justice is going to be a real Trump ball-breaker!

 

BREAKING: Judge Issues Gag Order After Trump Attacks His Clerk Trump was reportedly brought into a closed-door session.
Source: meidastouch.com


Trump was reportedly brought into a closed-door session.


Ron Filipkowski 11 minutes ago


Unhinged, deranged fraud defendant Donald Trump posted at attack on the Clerk for Judge Engoron on Truth Social during his trial today.

Trump listed her name, claimed that she is Senator Chuck Schumer's girlfriend, posted her phone, a link to her Instagram account, and demanded that his case be dismissed because of her.

Trump was reportedly brought back into the courtroom after leaving for lunch. The doors were then closed for session between the attorneys, Trump, and the judge. Trump then deleted the post.


This story is still being developed.


Read more: https://www.meidastouch.com/news/trump-deletes-post-attacking-judges-clerk

 

Trump's Now-Deleted Attack Boosted an Account Falsely Claiming "Hobo" Judge Engoron Drinks on the Job

Trump's attack on law clerk amplified a disinformation account slandering Engoron as drinking 40's while in session

• J.D. Wolf
• 44 minutes ago

Desperate Trump claimed that Chuck Schumer, who has been married to Iris Weinshall for over 40 years, has a girlfriend, Allison Greenfield, who is "running" the New York Civil fraud case against him. It's true that Greenfield is Judge Engoron's Chief Clerk, but Trump posted a screenshot of a tweet showing a picture of Schumer and Greenfield together implying something improper is happening in Trump's civil case.



Trump posted screenshot of Schumer and Engoron Chief Clerk

Truth Social


cont
https://www.meidastouch.com/news/tr...ount-falsely-claiming-judge-drinks-on-the-job

 

'The Trump-boosted Twitter account, "Judicial Protest" is verified with about 150 followers and describes itself as "applying the 69th amendment to the internet." The account follows 3 other accounts including a nationalist themed one. The account links a rumble account with the same name that appears to generate it's own right wing disinformation videos against lawyers.

The "Judicial Protest" account may have captured Trump's attention recently due to a viral video claiming Judge Engoron is a "hobo" and drinks alcohol out of 40oz bottles while on the job.



Trump-boosted account claims Judge drinks from a 40 while on the job

Twitter

The graphic makes it hard to see the bottle clearly, but this appears to be a green sparkling water bottle. The disinformation account goes so far as to falsely claim that Judge Engoron was drinking from Tanqueray gin bottle in their viral video. The account also falsely claimed Trump's attorneys began the trail by asking Judge Engoron, "What's in the bottle?"



Disinfo account boosted by Trump claims Judge Engoron drinking on the job

Twitter

Now if the account claimed Alina Habba had downed an entire bottle of Tanqueray gin and that's why she forgot to select a jury trial on the form, that would be believable. This, however, is completely unreasonable.

The account also shared altered pictures falsely claiming House members AOC, Comer, Rankin, Stansbury, and Garcia were investigating Judge Engoron's drinking.

 

Complete *******.. where is the line??

 

New York is also going pay a price for this scam. Remember Amazon pulling out? It was because the legal were afraid of being in a hostile anti trust environment. AOC got the blame. Lol
The same message is being sent to businesses in and around who are considering their position in new your New York.

 

2 completely unrelated things.... ATEOTD, Amazon said Virginia won, not that New York lost.

Cracking down on fraudulent companies can only be a good thing for others wishing to do business the correct way.

 

Amazon poisoned the deal. Legal wanted out.

 

2 hr 5 min ago
Fact check: Trump falsely claims it was agreed that Mar-a-Lago is worth more than what the state said
From CNN’s Daniel Dale




Trump speaks to the media before entering the courtroom on Tuesday, October 3. Seth Wenig/AP


Before former President Donald Trump appeared in court Tuesday for the second day of his civil fraud trial in New York, he claimed on social media that it has now “been agreed in Court that Mar-a-Lago is WORTH 50 to 100 times the Value” New York Attorney General Letitia James had ascribed to it, $18 million.

Trump was claiming, therefore, that the court had agreed the Florida property is worth $900 million to $1.8 billion.

Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. There has been no such agreement in court. Judge Arthur Engoron and a lawyer for James’ office did not endorse a Trump lawyer’s Monday claim in court that Mar-a-Lago could be sold for more than $1 billion.

In Engoron’s decision last week finding Trump liable for fraud, he wrote that “from 2011-2021, the Palm Beach County Assessor appraised the market value of Mar-a-Lago at between $18 million and $27.6 million.”

He also noted that there are significant land use restrictions attached to the property, and he wrote that Trump’s financial statements, valuing Mar-a-Lago at roughly $426.5 million to $612.1 million between 2011 and 2021, are “materially false and misleading” because they don’t reflect those restrictions.

Trump lawyer Alina Habba sharply disputed this conclusion in court on Monday, saying that “we have experts, renowned experts, who have said that properties like Mar-a-Lago are worth over a billion dollars, $1.5 billion, and I assure you that there is a person out there that would buy that property, that spectacular property, for way over a billion dollars."

Trump and his team are entitled to argue that the judge’s analysis is inaccurate. But Trump himself was wrong to suggest that the judge had agreed in court that Mar-a-Lago is worth even more than his financial statements claimed. The judge did nothing of the sort.

Engoron noted again in court on Monday that there were “significant” limitations on how the property can be used, and he said he had “specifically said” in the decision last week that “I'm not valuing or evaluating properties.”

He said, “Please, press, stop saying that I valued it at $18 million. That was a tax assessment. Or, something in that range. There would have been issues of fact as to what the value was.”

 

Remember, it was Michael Cohen who brought the documents to Congress and SDNY- James.
Especially informative video, fraud trial, gag order and McCarthy.
Cohen said he should be testifying within the next 10 days.

 

You think that's gonna stop MAGA lies??

Think again..

@Bluesguy will never understand that the number didn't come directly from the judge hitting Google (Search string - "I hate Trump Mar a Lago value"