NY’s AG: The Trump Show is Over

By Staff, Agencies 

The New York attorney general, Letitia James announced that “the Trump show is over” as the third day of the former US president’s civil fraud trial wrapped up in Manhattan.

Inclusion on the Forbes list was mentioned at Trump’s civil fraud trial as a reason for inflating the values of his properties.

James and Trump both returned to the trial a day after Trump ran afoul of the judge by denigrating a key court staffer in a social media post.

Outside court, James called Trump’s appearance at the civil trial – which he is not required to attend – a “political stunt” and a “fundraising stop.”

Trump has spent the first three days of the trial attacking James and Judge Arthur Engoron in press gatherings outside court. He is expected to return to Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday.

“I will not be bullied,” James said. “Justice will be served.”

The former US president and Republican frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race is voluntarily taking time out from the campaign trail to attend the trial. James’s lawsuit accuses Trump and his business of deceiving banks, insurers and others by providing financial statements that greatly exaggerated his wealth.

Trump formally appealed a judge’s refusal to dismiss James’s civil fraud lawsuit against him and his family business on Wednesday. The appeal was filed as Trump sat in the courtroom, watching an accountant who used to work for him testify as the state’s first witness.

Engoron already has ruled that Trump committed fraud by inflating the values of prized assets including his Trump Tower penthouse. The ruling could, if upheld on appeal, cost Trump control of his signature skyscraper and some other properties.

Trump denies any wrongdoing. With familiar rhetoric, on his way into court on Wednesday, he called James “incompetent”, portrayed her as part of a broader Democratic effort to weaken his 2024 prospects and termed the trial “a disgrace.”