Former President Donald Trump appeared in Manhattan court days after a judge ruled he and his Trump Org. associates committed “persistent and repeated” fraud
Former President Donald Trump appeared in Manhattan court on Monday to personally challenge accusations of fraud leveled against him by the state of New York.
Last week, a Manhattan judge handed down a partial summary judgment ruling that Trump, his adult sons Eric and Donald Jr., and several of his business associates were liable for “persistent and repeated” fraud against investors and insurers. In an astonishing move, Judge Arthur Engoron also terminated all of the New York business licenses held by the defendants, effectively signaling the dissolution of the Trump organization.
Upon his arrival at the courthouse, Trump attacked prosecutors and Judge Engoron, calling the case a “continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time… it’s a scam, it’s a sham.”
The trial — which will not be decided by a jury — will center primarily on establishing how much Trump and his co-defendants owe in damages. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced in September of last year that the state would see at least $250 million in restitution payments and a ban on Trump and his family from running a business in the state.
On Sunday, the former President wrote on Truth Social that he would be “going to Court [Monday] to fight for my name and reputation against a corrupt and racist Attorney General, Letitia James, who campaigned on ‘getting Trump,’ and a Trump Hating Judge who is unfair, unhinged, and vicious in his PURSUIT of me.”
“THIS WHOLE CASE IS A SHAM!!! See you in Court,” he added.
In a brief statement to reporters before the in-court proceedings, James stated that her “message is simple. No matter how powerful you are, no matter how much money you think you may have, no one is above the law.”