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Ladybbird · 28-07-23, 01:58

TRUMP Faces Further Charges in Mar-a-Lago Documents Inquiry- TRUMP Accused of Ordering an Employee to Delete SERVER

TRUMP Accused of Pressuring an Employee to Delete Mar-a-Lago Security Camera Footage, New Charges Allege.

TRUMP Aide Faces Additional Charges in Classified Documents Case as 3rd Defendant is Added

BBC 28 JULY 2023

In a revised indictment, Mr Trump is charged with three new counts, one of wilful retention of defence information and two of obstruction.

An additional person, Mar-a-Lago staff member Carlos de Oliveira, has also been indicted in the case.

Mr de Oliveira is alleged to have asked what could be done to delete footage.

Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty alongside his close aide Walt Nauta, who also received two additional charges of obstruction on Thursday.

The new court documents outline alleged efforts between Mr Nauta and Mr de Oliviera, the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, to obstruct the justice department's investigation.

According to the new court documents, Mr Nauta and Mr de Oliveira conspired to delete footage from security cameras after the Department of Justice issued a subpoena asking for surveillance footage of the basement where it said confidential documents were held.

In the court documents, Mr de Oliveira is claimed to have texted another employee who was the director of information technology that "the boss" wanted the server deleted.

The documents allege that Mr de Oliveira later met with the employee in a small IT room, told him them their conversation should remain private, then pressured the man into obliging his request after the employee told Mr de Oliveira that he did not have the authority.

The indictment sets out a scene where it is claimed Mr Nauta and Mr de Oliveira walked through bushes and foliage at the edge of Mar-a-Lago, a leisure resort that had been known as the Winter White House, to get to the IT room.

"What are we going to do," Mr de Oliveira allegedly asked his co-worker. A lawyer for Mr de Oliveira has declined to comment.

The updated indictment alleges that Mr Trump knowingly discussed a top-secret document with biographers visiting Mar-a-Lago to interview him.

The indictment says the document Mr Trump revealed to the biographers contained possible plans to attack "Country A", which CNN and other outlets identified as Iran.

"Look what I found... Isn't it amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look," Mr Trump allegedly said to one of his guests.

The documents case is led by special prosecutor Jack Smith, who earlier in the day met with Mr Trump's lawyers over a separate investigation into alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Mr Trump's attorneys John Lauro and Todd Blanche met officials at Mr Smith's office in Washington DC, US media reported.

The former president said earlier this month that he expected to be indicted in that case, but said on Thursday his lawyers received no indication of timing.

Mr Trump dismissed the fresh charges in the documents case in an emailed statement from his 2024 presidential campaign.

"Deranged Jack Smith knows that they have no case and is casting about for any way to salvage their illegal witch hunt," the statement read.

The latest charge against Trump adds to a growing list of legal problems for the property and reality TV mogul.

He currently awaits trial for a hush-money case in which he faces 34 felony counts, he faces civil charges in a defamation case against author E Jean Carroll, and Georgia prosecutors are still weighing whether or not to press charges over an alleged effort overturn the election results there.

Ladybbird · 01-08-23, 05:17

'We're Ready to Go': Fulton County DA Says Work is Done in TRUMP Probe

TRUMPs' Mar-a-Lago Property Manager in Court to Face Obstruction of Justice Charges

BBC 1 AUG 2023

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said her team has wrapped up their work on the investigation into former President Trump’s efforts to reverse the 2020 election results in Georgia, and she reaffirmed her commitment to announce charging decisions by Sept. 1.

“The work is accomplished,” Willis told local news station 11Alive on Saturday. “We’ve been working for 2 1/2 years. We’re ready to go.”

“Some people may not be happy with the decisions that I’m making, and sometimes, when people are unhappy, they act in a way that could create harm,” Willis added.

Ahead of the anticipated charging announcement, local law enforcement officials have been working to increase security in the area, an effort Willis praised in the interview. Willis spoke to local reporters at a back-to-school event where she distributed free school supplies.

“I think that the sheriff is doing something smart in making sure that the courthouse stays safe,” Willis said, noting that she wrote a letter to the sheriff about security efforts.

“I’m not willing to put any of the employees or the constituents that come to the courthouse in harm’s way,” Willis added.

The probe has been going on for more than two years. Among other things, the case has involved the phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) in January 2021, in which Trump requested Raffensperger “find” the necessary votes in his state to reverse President Biden’s victory.

Trump has sought to block the investigation from proceeding. On Monday, a Georgia judge rejected one of the former president’s attempts to dismiss the probe.

“The movants’ asserted ‘injuries’ that would open the doors of the courthouse to their claims are either insufﬁcient or else speculative and unrealized,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in the nine-page ruling.

Mar-a-Lago Property Manager in Court to Face Obstruction of Justice Charges

Mar-a-Lago Property Manager Makes First Court Appearance in Classified Documents Case

Carlos De Oliveira, the Mar-a-Lago property manager and newest co-defendant in the special counsel’s criminal case charging former President Donald Trump and his staff with mishandling classified information, made his initial appearance in a Miami courtroom on Monday.

De Oliveira was indicted by a grand jury Thursday on four charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements to the FBI.

On Monday, he was informed of his rights as a criminal defendant but did not enter a formal plea during the roughly 10-minute hearing. He was released on a $100,000 bond pending trial, and he will be arraigned on August 10 in Ft. Pierce, Florida.

Trump and his aide Walt Nauta, the third co-defendant in the case, pleaded not guilty after initially being indicted in June.

Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres also ordered De Oliveira not to discuss the case with potential witnesses except through counsel, and prosecutors provided the defendant with a list of names. Trump and Nauta also were given a similar condition for their release. In addition, Torres said De Oliveira cannot travel outside south Florida without permission.

De Oliveira did not have a lawyer listed who is able to practice in Florida, where the case will be tried. Nauta faced a similar problem when he was first charged, and though he was able to proceed with his initial appearance alongside Trump in June, Nauta was forced to delay his arraignment until he had a Florida lawyer.
De Oliveira left the courthouse surrounded by reporters after his hearing concluded. He was escorted by federal agents and his attorney, John Irving.

De Oliveira declined to answer questions as he walked to the second building, including whether he had spoken to Trump since his arrest, whether he testified to a grand jury as part of the special counsel’s investigation and whether he had identified a Florida lawyer to hire.
“The Justice Department has unfortunately decided to bring these charges,” Irving said, “and now it’s time for them to put their money where their mouth is.”

Ladybbird · 18-09-23, 09:29

TRUMP New York Fraud Case Could be Delayed After Ex-President Sues Judge

Court Orders TRUMP Fraud Trial be Temporarily Halted After He Sues The Judge

New York Judge Had Declined Trumps' Request to Delay $250M Civil Fraud Trial

TRUMP Tries to Employ Legal Sleight of Hand to Wriggle Out of Fraud Lawsuit

BBC 18 SEP 2023

Civil case brought by Letitia James alleges widespread fraud connected to Trump Organization and trial scheduled for October

Donald Trumps' attorneys are attempting a legal gambit to help him wriggle out of the fraud lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, but experts are dubious that it will work, according to a report.

His attorneys have argued that Trumps' business deals deemed as fraudulent by James took place so long ago they've fallen outside the statute of limitations, and an appellate court directed state Supreme Court Justice Arthur F. Engoron and the attorney general to determine exactly when those transactions took place

“These issues are highly technical, and they are highly dependent sometimes on idiosyncratic features of particular statutes,” said Justin Murray, a professor at New York Law School.

A fraud lawsuit against Donald Trump and his family business has been temporarily halted by a judge from a New York state appeals court.

The judge’s directive for the upcoming 2 October trial in the fraud lawsuit filed by New York attorney general Letitia James was issued during a surprise virtual hearing closed to the public.

The order was issued in response to the former US president’s lawsuit against Justice Arthur Engoron, the trial judge responsible for the case.

In his lawsuit, Mr Trump accused Mr Engoron and Ms James of disregarding a court order that could limit the scope of the lawsuit

A court spokesperson said Justice David Friedman from the appeals court granted a temporary suspension of the trial and referred the issue to a five-judge panel that is expected to rule during the last week of September.

“We are confident in our case and will be ready for trial,” said Ms James in a statement in response.

The trial could still begin on 2 October as it remains contingent upon the decision of the appeals court, commonly referred to as the First Department.

In an emergency court filing on Thursday morning, lawyers representing the former president and his associates emphasised the need for New York’s higher courts to intervene urgently.

They are seeking the involvement of an appellate judge to initiate an “Article 78 proceeding”, which aims to compel Mr Engoron to significantly weaken the case brought forward by the attorney general.

Ms James has said there is a “mountain of evidence” indicating Mr Trump and his associates lied over a decade regarding his assets and net worth. These alleged misrepresentations, she said, may have led to an inflation of up to $3.6bn to secure more favourable loan and insurance terms.

Ms James is pursuing a $250m fine and seeking to prohibit Mr Trump and his sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, from assuming leadership positions within the Trump Organization, the family business.

The lawsuit was initiated by the attorney general in September last year after a three-year investigation.

“I am determined to start the case on time,” Mr Engoron had said earlier this year.

“Come hell or high water.”

Ladybbird · 27-09-23, 02:01

Fraudster TRUMP Given The Corporate Death Penalty in New York Suit: Lawyer George Conway Says TRUMP Organization is Out of Business

New York Judge Rules TRUMP Committed Fraud and Lied About His Net Worth For Years..Judge Rules He Committed Fraud for YEARS in New York by Inflating Property Prices

BBC 27 SEP 2023

A New York judge ruled former President Donald Trump and his companies engaged in fraud, in yet another legal setback for the former president as AG Letitia James’ $250 million civil lawsuit advances.

The judge, Arthur Engoron, also denied Trump's bid to dismiss the New York attorney general's $250 million lawsuit against him and his company.

A New York judge has found Donald Trump and his adult sons liable for fraud, saying the Trumps provided false financial statements for roughly a decade. Wolf Blitzer talks with conservative lawyer George Conway and CNN anchor Laura Coates about the ruling

A New York judge ruled in the state attorney general's $250 million lawsuit against Donald Trump and his company Tuesday that the former president committed repeated acts of fraud for years.

According to the ruling, which allows the civil trial to begin next week, Trump lied to banks and insurers by both overvaluing and undervaluing his assets when it was to his benefit while exaggerating his net worth to the tune of billions of dollars.

In his 35-page ruling, Judge Arthur Engoron said Trump continually lied on his financial statements and was able to get favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums as a result. Trump's legal arguments defending the statements are based in "a fantasy world, not the real world," Engoron wrote.

He went on to say that the case was essentially a "documents case" and that "the documents here clearly contain fraudulent valuations that defendants used in business, satisfying [the attorney general's] burden to establish liability as a matter of law against defendants. Defendants’ respond that: the documents do not say what they say; that there is no such thing as 'objective' value; and that, essentially, the Court should not believe its own eyes."

"The defenses Donald Trump attempts to articulate in his sworn deposition are wholly without basis in law or fact," Engoron added.

At one point, Engoron pointed to Trump's having exaggerated the size of his New York apartment to pump up its value, repeatedly claiming it was over 30,000 feet when it was a third of that size.

“A discrepancy of this order of magnitude, by a real estate developer sizing up his own living space of decades, can only be considered fraud,” Engoron wrote.

He found Trump, his sons Don Jr. and Eric and their companies liable for fraud.

He also denied Trump's motion for summary judgment that argued New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit should be dismissed. Engoron sanctioned Trump's attorneys $7,500 apiece for making legal arguments that had already been rejected twice.

The ruling would dissolve numerous limited liability companies, or LLCs, associated with Trump, including the Trump Organization LLC, an entity that’s been been used to expand the Trump brand through use of his name. Each side was given 10 days to recommend three potential receivers to manage the dissolution of the LLCs identified in the court filing.

While the New York-based LLCs will need to be dissolved, it will be up to the receiver to determine what that looks like.

Former judge Barbara Jones will continue in her role as a court appointed monitor of financial activity at Trump Organization Inc., which is separate from the similarly named LLC.

Engoron further ordered that the outstanding issues in the case will get resolved at trial.

The trial is scheduled to start Monday. Because it is a bench trial, the case will be decided solely by the judge, with no jury.

In a statement Tuesday on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump blasted the state attorney general and the judge and said, "My Civil Rights have been violated, and some Appellate Court, whether Federal or State, must reverse this horrible, un-American decision."

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the lawsuit is part of a partisan “witch hunt.” In a social media post Monday, he called Engoron a “Trump Hater beyond even A.G. James.”

Trump's lead attorney in the case, Christopher Kise, called the ruling "outrageous" and said it was "completely disconnected from the facts and governing law."

He said in a statement that Engoron had "disregarded the viewpoint of those actually involved in the loan transactions who testified there was nothing misleading, there was no fraud, and the transactions were all highly profitable."

"While the full impact of the decision remains unclear, what is clear is that President Trump and his family will seek all available appellate remedies to rectify this miscarriage of justice,” Kise said.

Another Trump attorney, Alina Habba, focused on Engoron's determination that Trump's Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, had been grossly overvalued.

Engoron noted that from 2011 to 2021, the Palm Beach County assessor appraised the market value of Mar-a-Lago at $18 million to $27.6 million. Trump's financial statements, meanwhile, put the club's value at almost $427 million to $612 million.

She said the judge's findings, including the one "that Mar-a-Lago is worth approximately $20 million," is "an affront to our legal system."

In a tweet, Eric Trump said after the ruling that he had "lost all faith in the New York legal system."

"We have run an exceptional company — never missing a loan payment, making banks hundreds of millions of dollars, developing some of the most iconic assets in the world. Yet today, the persecution of our family continues," he said.

James' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Engoron's ruling.

Ladybbird · 30-09-23, 04:12

Man Charged With Leaking Donald Trump Tax Returns

Leaked TRUMP Tax Return Showed HUGE $916m FALSE Loss

BBC 30 SEP 2023

A man in the US has been charged with leaking the tax returns of a "high-ranking government official" who is understood to be Donald Trump.

Prosecutors said Charles Littlejohn, a contractor for the IRS - the US-wide tax body - stole the information and passed it on to a news organisation.

He is also accused of stealing tax return information of "thousands" of the US's "wealthiest individuals".

The Department of Justice alleges this data was given to another outlet.

Court documents say the two news organisations published "numerous articles" based on this information.

Neither have been charged with any wrongdoing.

Although the court documents do not name the government official, a source has confirmed to the BBC's partner in the US, CBS News, that it is former president Donald Trump.

The same person also said that the news organisation which received information about Mr Trump's tax returns was The New York Times, while the second, which received information about other individuals was the ProPublica website.

The New York Times declined to comment to CBS News about the claims, while ProPublica said in a statement to the outlet: "We have no comment on today's announcement from the DoJ. As we've said previously, ProPublica doesn't know the identity of the source who provided this trove of information on the taxes paid by the wealthiest Americans."

There has been no public comment from Mr Trump.

Court documents claim that between 2017 and 2021, Mr Littlejohn worked for an unnamed consultancy which in turn worked on contracts from the US Department of the Treasury's IRS, dealing with tax administration.

The papers go on to allege that between 2018 and 2020, while Mr Littlejohn was working on an IRS contract "he stole tax returns and return information", some of which dated back more than 15 years.

The charge against Mr Littlejohn is the unauthorised disclosure of tax returns and return information. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. There has been no public comment from the Washington DC resident.

A 2020 article in The New York Times, which is thought to have been based on the leaked information, claimed that Mr Trump paid just $750 (£580) in federal income tax both in 2016, the year he ran for the US presidency, and in his first year in the White House.

The newspaper also said that he paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years and that the records reveal "chronic losses and years of tax avoidance".

RELATED:

TRUMP Fraud Ruling That Cancels His Business Licenses is a Devastating Blow For Ex-President

The Glitzy New York Buildings That TRUMP Could Lose

BBC 30 SEP 2023

Long before Donald Trump stepped into the White House, his glitzy and glamorous real estate empire helped make him a nationally recognised star.

Now, a judge's ruling that his business committed massive fraud has thrown the fate of some of the former president's flagship properties into doubt.

On Tuesday, Judge Arthur Engoron ordered that some of Mr Trump's companies be removed from his control.

Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing and is expected to appeal.

The ruling was part of a lawsuit filed against Mr Trump and his family by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who asked the judge for a summary decision that certain facts in the case were beyond dispute in the hope of speeding up the impending trial.

It severely limits Mr Trump's ability to do business in New York, the place where he launched the real estate empire that thrust him into the national spotlight.

What the ruling means for Mr Trump's properties, however, remains uncertain.

The Trump Organization could be forced to hand over control to a court-appointed receiver, or ultimately have to sell some of its most iconic landmarks. Mr Trump's lawyers have asked for more clarity on which properties could be affected. The judge has yet to give a definitive answer.

For Mr Trump, the stakes are potentially high. Earlier this year, Forbes estimated that his New York properties alone are worth $720m (£589m), a sizable chunk of his estimated $2.5bn fortune.

Let's take a look at some of the properties that Mr Trump might lose.

Trump Tower

Located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the 58-floor Trump Tower is among the most recognisable properties bearing Mr Trump's name.

The building is the headquarters of the embattled Trump Organization and has been home to Mr Trump and several of his family members.

The building - which was developed by Mr Trump and inaugurated in 1983 - has also featured prominently in popular culture, including serving as the location for Batman's Wayne Enterprises in Christopher Nolan's 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises.

Mr Trump's penthouse condominium that spans the top three floors of the building is also among the properties highlighted in James' lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that Mr Trump artificially inflated the triplex's value, by repeatedly saying it was more than 30,000 sq ft (2,790 sq m) in size, significantly larger than the 11,000 sq ft listed in property records.

The penthouse was valued at$327m in 2015, a price that the lawsuit called "absurd".

"Tripling the size of the apartment for purposes of the valuation was intentional and deliberate fraud," the lawsuit reads. "Not an honest mistake".

40 Wall Street
Originally completed in 1930, the 72-story neo-Gothic tower in the heart of New York's financial district was purchased by a Trump-controlled company in 1995. The building's website proudly boasts that the purchase was "one of the great real estate deals of all time".

Since the purchase, the building's tenants have included global giants such as American Express, defunct investment bank Bear Stearns and Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

In the New York lawsuit, prosecutors alleged that the values given by Mr Trump and the Trump Organization "far exceeded the values determined by professionals" in lender-ordered appraisals.

In 2012, for example, the property was valued by the company at $572m in financial statements - more than twice the value reached by the outside appraisals.

By early this year, the building had been added to a lender watchlist because of concerns over rising expenses and vacancies, according to Bloomberg.

Seven Springs Estate

Vaunted as "one of the most prestigious private estates" by the Trump Organization, the verdant 212-acre estate stretches across the towns of Bedford, Armonk and Chappaqua in New York's Westchester Country. It was built in 1919 by former Washington Post publisher Eugene Meyer and bought by the Trump Organization in 1996.

A large Georgian-style mansion surrounded by nature preserves, the property is atypical of Mr Trump's holdings, which tend to sparkle and shine with gold-plated décor.

As is the case with the other properties in the lawsuit, the Trumps are accused of overvaluing the estate.

Mr Trump's son Eric is also accused of pushing for developments there that were not approved and "not feasible", as well as hiding the estate's true value and fraudulently increasing the value of tax deductions stemming from it.

Mar-a-Lago

It is unclear whether Judge Engoron's ruling would apply to Trumps' Mar-a-Lago estate

The extent of Judge Engoron's recent ruling is still unclear, but could potentially extend far beyond New York's borders to properties that controlled by New York based limited liability companies, or LLCs.

This could reportedly include Mr Trump's famous 17-acre Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.

In his ruling, Mr Engoron determined that Mr Trump inflated the value of Mar-a-Lago by as much as 2,300%.

The ruling cited an appraisal from the Palm Beach County Assessor's office, which placed the property's value at between $18m and $27.6m.

The valuation sparked an angry response from Mr Trump, who called Mr Engoron "unhinged" and a "political hack judge".

On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Eric Trump speculated that Mar-a-Lago is worth a billion dollars, "making it arguably the most valuable residential property in the country".

His brother Donald Trump Jr mocked the assessment writing: "If Mar-a-Lago is worth $18 million... I'll take 10 please!!"

MORE;

Ladybbird · 02-10-23, 15:03

TRUMP Appears at Fraud Trial in New York - 'It's a Sham' Says TRUMP

New York Attorney General Letitia James 'No One is Above The Law'

NY Attorney Seeks Damages, After TRUMP Found Liable For Fraud

BBC 2 OCT 2023

Former President Donald Trump has arrived at court to attend the opening of his New York civil trial

Trump committed fraud by repeatedly misrepresenting his wealth by hundreds of millions of dollars, a New York judge ruled last week

TRUMP is seated across from NY Judge Arthur Engoron he called 'deranged'

The NY attorney general is seeking a fine of $250m (£204m) and a ban on him doing business in his home state

Trump has called the lawsuit a politically motivated "witch hunt"

The Trump Organization could be forced to relinquish control of its properties or sell some of its landmarks

Trump, who built his political career on his fame as a billionaire real estate ace and master of "The Art of the Deal," appeared voluntarily for a trial that has high stakes for him.

New York Attorney General Letitia James' suit accuses Trump and his company of deceiving banks, insurers and others by habitually lying about his wealth in financial statements.

Judge Arthur Engoron already has ruled that Trump committed fraud in his business dealings. It is a non-jury trial, so Engoron will decide on six other claims in the lawsuit.

James, a Democrat, is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York. The judge's ruling last week, if upheld on appeal, could force Trump to give up New York properties including Trump Tower, a Wall Street office building, golf courses and a suburban estate.

Ladybbird · 03-10-23, 03:26

Defiant at $250m New York Fraud Trial to Blast 'Scam'

Attacked Judge and Prosecutor in Day of Courtroom Drama as He Attended Opening of Fraud Trial That Could Threaten His Business Empire.

BBC 3 OCT 2023

Trump with legal team in court

On entering the room on Monday dressed in a blue suit, Mr Trump - who turned up voluntarily - looked ahead as he walked past the prosecutor who brought the case.

States' attorney general Letitia James, sitting in the front row, averted her gaze.

Their paths did not cross for the rest of opening statements as both sides laid out their case.

Mr Trump, the Trump Organization, several executives and two of his children - Donald Jr and Eric - are the defendants in the civil trial in New York Superior Court.

They are accused of fraud, falsification of business records, issuing false financial statements and conspiracy.

As the trial got under way, the former president occasionally glanced in the direction of Judge Arthur Engoron as he addressed the court.

Moments beforehand, in a tirade outside court that echoed across the chamber, Mr Trump had called the judge a "rogue adjudicator".

Ms James was not spared either in his remarks to reporters at the top of the courtroom steps.

"It's a scam, it's a sham. Just so you know, my financial statements are phenomenal," Mr Trump added. "There was no crime - the crime was against me."

Given the former president's personal attacks, observers expected a tense atmosphere in the cramped confines of the court. But the three key figures in the legal drama had minimal direct interactions.

While prosecutors set out their case, Mr Trump for the most part sat still, occasionally whispering to his legal team.

Ms James kept her eyes on the lawyer unveiling a visual presentation that accompanied her team's opening statements.

Proceedings began with her team accusing Mr Trump and his co-defendants of intentionally and persistently committing fraud, which reaped Mr Trump over $100m (£82.7m).

Last week Judge Engoron ruled against Mr Trump in a central claim of the lawsuit, finding that he had overvalued his properties by hundreds of millions of dollars in order to get favourable bank loans.

Mr Trump's lawyers took the stand shortly afterwards, attacking the New York attorney general's arguments. Alina Habba said Ms James' goal as attorney general was to "go to work, get Trump and go home".

She claimed that Mr Trump did not inflate the value of his assets - including his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Real estate was malleable, she said, and his properties were "Mona Lisas" - Mar-a-Lago would sell for at least a billion dollars, she argued.

But before lunch, proceedings turned increasingly fractious.

Mr Trump's attorney, Chris Kise, argued with Judge Engoron about issues including whether expert opinion counted as testimony.

And Ms Habba's attacks on Ms James drew Judge Engoron's ire. The judge said he had already dismissed claims that the suit was politically motivated.

The afternoon in court proved calmer, with former Trump accountant Donald Bender testifying as the first witness called by the attorney general's office.

Mr Bender said he had worked on Trump's tax returns and completed accounting work for Mr Trump's corporate entities.

He testified in a criminal trial against the Trump Organization in Manhattan last year, claiming the company sought to evade taxes on bonuses and other luxury benefits.

Trump: 'It's a scam, it's a sham'

His two-hour testimony on Monday - largely focused on technical questions about his work for the Trump Organization - capped off the first day of the three-month long trial.

The case will be decided by Judge Engoron, not a jury.

None of the defendants will face jail time if convicted, because this is a civil case not a criminal one.

Ms James is seeking $250m (£207m) and sanctions that could prevent the Trumps from doing business in the state of New York.

There is even the possibility that Mr Trump could lose some of the properties that have become a signature part of his brand.

The stakes could not be higher.

Trump walks out of the New York courtroom during a break in the first day of the trial on whether he committed fraud.

Ladybbird · 04-10-23, 07:20

Judge Fires Back at TRUMP Attorneys to NOT Contest His Rulings

Judge Also Issues Gag Order and Rebukes TRUMP After Social Media Post Attacking His Clerk

BBC 4 OCT 2023

Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the New York attorney generals’ civil case against Donald Trump, said that the trial itself is not the venue for TRUMPS attorneys to contest what he’s already ruled on.

Judge Arthur Engoron rebuked Donald Trump after the former president attacked his clerk in a social media post on Tuesday and forbade the parties from making any future comments about his staff.

“This morning one of the defendants posted on (a) social media account a disparaging untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff. Although I have since ordered the post deleted and apparently it was, it was also emailed out to millions of other recipients,” the judge said in court.

“Personal attacks of any member of my court staff are unacceptable, inappropriate and I will not tolerate them,” the judge said.

TRUMP looked straight ahead at the judge as he issued the order.

The judge then said all parties must not speak publicly about any members of the court staff.

“Consider this statement an order forbidding all parties from posting, emailing or speaking publicly about any members of my staff,” Engoron said. “Failure to abide by this … will result in serious sanctions.”

Ladybbird · 05-10-23, 15:40

TRUMP and His Business Stand Trial in New York in Third Day of Major Civil Fraud Case

TRUMP in Court For 3rd Day as Accountant Takes Stand in NY Fraud Trial - TRUMP Lawyers Go After Accountant, Appeal Major Pretrial Ruling in New York Fraud Case

BBC 5 OCT 2023

Judge Arthur Engoron already has ruled that the former president commiitted fraud

NEW YORK - The fraud trial that could block former President Donald Trump from doing business in New York drilled down Wednesday into the question of who — his company or hired accountants — bore responsibility for financial statements that the state calls fraudulent.

With accountants on the witness stand and Trump at the defense table for a third day, his attorneys tried to pin blame on accounting firms for any problems with the statements. But lawyers for New York Attorney General Letitia James sought to show that the accountants relied entirely on information supplied by Trump and his company.

Outside the courtroom, meanwhile, Trump's lawyers appealed a key pretrial ruling: that he engaged in fraud by puffing up the values of prized assets. The trial concerns six claims that remain in the lawsuit after that ruling.

Former President Donald Trump addresses the press during a lunch break on the third day of his civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on October 4, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Trump denies any wrongdoing. The trial comes as he leads the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and the stakes are high for him and the real estate empire that launched him into public life.

The pretrial ruling that's now under appeal could cost him control of Trump Tower and some other properties. At the trial, James is seeking a $250 million penalty and a prohibition on Trump doing business in New York.

At the heart of the case are the "statements of financial condition," yearly snapshots of Trump's wealth that were given to banks, insurers and others.

James says the statements were wildly inflated. His Trump Tower penthouse was claimed as nearly three times its actual size, for example, and his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida was hugely overvalued at as much as $739 million, she says.

Trump maintains that the statements actually underestimated the worth of luxury properties. He also emphasizes that the documents came with disclaimers that he characterizes as saying the numbers shouldn't be trusted and lenders should do their own homework.

But accountant Donald Bender, who prepared the financial statements for years, testified Tuesday that the Trump Organization didn’t always supply all the information needed to accurately produce the documents. Another accountant, Camron Harris, testified Wednesday that his work on the 2021 statement involved checking information provided by Trump’s company for "obvious errors" and formatting it for presentation.

"We do not verify the accuracy of any of the information provided," Harris said. His firm's work agreement with Trump's company specified that the accountants would "not express an opinion or any conclusion nor provide any assurance on the financial statements."

RELATED: Judge rules Donald Trump defrauded banks, insurers as he built real estate empire

Trump lawyer Jesus M. Suarez, in cross-examining Bender on Tuesday and Wednesday, sought to depict the accountant as sloppy.

Suarez showed video Wednesday of pretrial testimony in which Bender said he didn’t recall whether he consulted with any specialists when preparing Trump’s financial statements. Yet, Suarez noted, Bender's firm told clients it might need specialists' help to evaluate works of art, jewelry, and some types of securities in closely held businesses and real estate.

When Bender acknowledged on Tuesday that he missed a shift in information about the size of the Trump Tower penthouse, Suarez told the accountant that Trump’s company and employees were "going through hell" because "you missed it."

Bender retorted that it was the Trump Organization's mistake, "and we didn’t catch it."

As the cross-examination wore on Wednesday with painstaking queries about specific aspects of individual financial statements, Judge Arthur Engoron pounded his fist and said the defense was ignoring his instructions to streamline the questioning.

"This is ridiculous," said the judge, who's hearing the case without a jury because state law doesn't allow for one in this type of lawsuit.

Trump’s lawyers complained that the judge was compromising their ability to defend the former president.

"I’ve never had to negotiate how to ask questions as a lawyer," defense attorney Christopher Kise said.

Trump, with familiar rhetoric outside court on Wednesday, called James "incompetent," portrayed her as part of a broader Democratic effort to weaken his 2024 prospects, and termed the case "fake" and the trial "a disgrace."

"Why attend? Because I want to point it out to the press, how corrupt it is," he said as he left court during its lunch break. He headed to Florida, next expected to return to the courtroom when he's called to testify, likely several weeks from now.

James later described his comments as offensive, baseless and "devoid of any facts and/or any evidence."

"The Donald Trump is show is over. This was nothing more than a political stunt. A fundraising stop. Now, we can continue to go forward with our trial, and we are confident that justice will be served," James told reporters outside court.

Trump has frequently vented in the courthouse hallway and on social media about the trial, James and Engoron, also a Democrat.

After Trump assailed Engoron's principal law clerk on social media Tuesday, the judge imposed a limited gag order, commanding all participants in the trial not to hurl personal attacks at members of his staff. The judge told Trump to delete the "disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post," and the former president took it down.

Ladybbird · 06-10-23, 15:31

TRUMPS' Civil Fraud Trial Continues in New York - TRUMP Tells BBC He Will Testify at Appropriate Time

TRUMP and His Business Stand Trial in Fourth Consecutive Day of Civil Fraud Case

BBC 6 OCT 2023

Donald Trump and his family business continue to stand trial in New York on Friday in a civil fraud case that could deal a major blow to the former U.S. presidents’ real estate empire.

Five Things to Know About Trumps' New York Fraud Trial

The vast business empire upon which Donald Trump made his name is on the line in a civil fraud trial that began on Monday in New York.

The former president, his two adult sons and the wider Trump Organization are accused of massively inflating the value of their properties by over $2bn (£1.65bn), in order to secure favourable loans.

On the trials' first day, Mr Trump made a surprise appearance at the courthouse where he lambasted the judge and the New York attorney general who brought the case.

He has denied any wrongdoing, calling the case a sham.

Here Are Five Things to Know About The Trial.

1. The stakes are really high

A defeat would mark a significant blow to the real estate empire that propelled him to national recognition long before he ran for the White House.

Those holdings constitute a significant chunk of his personal fortune and self-image. Earlier this year, Forbes Magazine estimated that his New York properties alone are worth $720m of his estimated $2.5bn.

Mr Trump has repeatedly pointed to his achievements in the New York real estate market as a source of personal pride.

In a 2015 interview with Bella NYC magazine, for example, Mr Trump touted the "many great buildings" that he has built and owns as his greatest accomplishment outside of his family.

A victory for prosecutors would mean that Mr Trump and his company would have to pay a $250m fine and be banned from doing business in New York, prising Trump Tower and the rest of his holdings from his grasp.

His presence in court suggests that he knows how high the stakes are.

2. It involves his children

Two of Mr Trump's adult children - Donald Jr and Eric - are co-defendants in the case and on the list of witnesses. The two took over the management of the Trump Organization in 2017, the year their father became president.

Like their father, both of Mr Trump's sons are accused of what Attorney General Letitia James has described as "persistent and repeated fraud" regarding their business.

The lawsuit filed by Ms James cites multiple specific allegations against both Eric and Donald Jr, largely pertaining to allegedly fraudulent assessments of value of real estate properties.

Eric Trump, along with his brother Donald Jr, are among the co-defendants in the case.

Eric Trump, for example, is accused of pushing for unapproved and "not feasible" developments at the sprawling Seven Springs Estate in Westchester County, as well as hiding its true value and fraudulently increasing the value of tax deductions stemming from it.

The lawsuit seeks to bar both men from serving as an officer or director in "any New York corporation or similar business entity" registered or licensed in the state.

Mr Trump's defence team plans to call 128 witnesses, including the former president, his two sons and his daughter Ivanka. His former lawyer Michael Cohen will testify for the prosecution.

3. The central claim in case already settled

Last week, the judge in the case, Arthur Engoron, ruled that Mr Trump misrepresented his wealth by millions of dollars.

His Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida was over-valued by 2,300% in one financial statement and his Trump Tower triplex was presented as three times its actual size, the ruling said.

The judge ordered that some of Mr Trump's companies be removed from his control. While the scope of this ruling is still unclear, it could mean that the Trump Organization could be forced to hand over control to a court-appointed receiver, or ultimately have to sell some of its most iconic landmarks.

The upcoming trial will focus on six other claims made in the lawsuit, including falsification of business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy.

On the opening day, lead attorney for the state, Kevin Wallace, said the defendants falsified records for personal gain. They knew the statements were false, he said, and "then used them to pursue and obtain financial benefits".

4. No jury, one judge and one attorney general

The upcoming trial is a bench trial, meaning that the ultimate decision on whether the co-defendants are liable and any damages or penalties rest on Judge Engoron alone.

While Mr Trump has pointed to a lack of jury as evidence that the trial is unfair, Mr Engoron said on Monday that his team never asked for a jury.

Judge Engoron and Ms James - both Democrats - have already sparred with Mr Trump and his legal team.

Mr Trump has repeatedly attacked New York District Attorney Letitia James

In April 2022, for example, Judge Engoron held Mr Trump in contempt for refusing to turn over documents related to the case, and rejected attempts by Mr Trump's lawyers to delay the start of the trial.

The former president has called them both "deranged" and in Ms James' case, a "racist" who is conducting a politically-motivated witch hunt.

5. This is one trial of several he faces

This civil case is one of several ongoing legal battles the current Republican presidential frontrunner is facing.

He is also facing three criminal indictments.

Two relate to his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and another to false accounting over hush money.

A fourth case sees Mr Trump facing 40 criminal charges over his alleged mishandling of classified material after he left the White House.

Altogether, Trump is facing 91 felony charges, including 44 federal ones and 47 state charges.

He denies all the charges.

Ladybbird · 09-10-23, 02:35

New York Appeals Court Halts Process of Breaking Up TRUMPS’ Businesses But Rejects Stopping The Trial

A New York appeals court judge rejected Donald Trumps’ attempt to stop the ongoing $250 million civil fraud trial, but temporarily halted the process of breaking up the former presidents’ businesses

BBC 8 OCT 2023

Associate Justice Peter Moulton issued the ruling after a brief hearing Friday afternoon. It leaves Trumps’ empire untouched for at least another month and perhaps offers the former president and his family a glimmer of hope.

Trump sought to put Judge Arthur Engoron’s surprise summary judgment order last week that he is liable for fraud and must cancel business certificates for many of his business entities on hold pending further appeal.

The dissolution of the entities would cause irreparable harm to the businesses and upwards of 1,000 employees, Trump attorney Christopher Kise argued in court.

“We are very pleased the First Department upheld New York law and put a halt to any cancellation of business certificates, receivers or dissolution,” Kise said following Friday’s ruling. “The trial courts’ attempt to reach issues, entities and assets beyond the scope of this case has been suspended.”

Engoron had ordered Trump to propose potential receivers by October 26, which would begin the process of dissolution.

During the hearing, Moulton speculated that such a broad interpretation of Engoron’s ruling could mean LLCs holding the private homes of Trump and the other defendants could be at risk of being sold.

“[Engoron] clearly does not comprehend the scope of the chaos its decision has wrought,” Trumps’ lawyers said in a court filing earlier in the day.

“We’re not seeking delay. We’re not seeking anything but a fair trial and these errors permeate the ongoing trial,” Kise said in court, referring to “an avalanche of errors” in the summary judgment ruling.

Trumps’ legal team believes the appellate court could eventually reverse at least part of Engorons’ bombshell order and gut New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case by dismissing a majority of the lawsuit’s claims that they believe are time barred by an earlier appellate ruling handed down in June.

The New York attorney generals’ office opposed the request to delay the trial, saying Trump and the other defendants are attempting “to sow chaos by disrupting an ongoing trial that has now been going for a week. Yet defendants fail to point to any purported irreparable harm from proceeding with a trial that has already begun.”

The attorney generals’ office also criticized Trumps’ team for waiting days into trial testimony to file the stay request.

“And tellingly, they waited until after Mr. Trump decided to stop attending the trial,” the letter says. Trump attended the first three days of the trial and has returned to Florida.

The response also says a delay would be disruptive to the court and its witnesses, creating a “cascade of delays in not only this case but also other litigation involving Mr. Trump.”

“If the trial here is delayed at all, there is a significant risk that defendants will request further delays of trial based on the deadlines in these other cases. Indeed, defendants already appear to be attempting to play one court against the other,” the motion reads.

With regard to Trumps’ request to pause Engoron’s summary judgment, the attorney general stressed it has “informed defendants of its willingness to discuss staying enforcement of portions of that relief pending trial and entry of final judgment, provided that the trial continues to move forward.”

Trump and his co-defendants have not yet agreed to engage in those discussions, the attorney general’s filing adds, saying “there should be no resort to the emergency of this Court when the parties have not even had an opportunity to determine if they can reach an agreement.”

The attorney generals’ office says the appellate court should consider the significant court resources arranged for the trial, like “special security arrangements outside and inside the courthouse, many additional security and other court personnel to conduct those security arrangements, and special arrangements to ensure access for the press and public.”

Trumps’ Attorneys Agree to Drop Lawsuit Against Engoron

Separately, Trumps’ attorneys agreed to drop a lawsuit they filed against Engoron and the New York attorney general.

Trump attorneys and his co-defendants notified the appellate court that they’ve agreed with James’ office to discontinue the suit.

Engoron handed down the summary judgment ruling last week, causing the appellate court to deny Trumps’ request for a stay as moot because Engoron ruled as they requested.

Ladybbird · 21-10-23, 01:03

Judge Threatens TRUMP With Prison For Violating His Gag Order in The New York Fraud Case

TRUMP Gets RIPPED in Court Over Meidas Report, THREATENED Him with Jail

Mary Trump Mocks Donald Trump After Judge Threatens Him With Prison

BBC 21 OCT 2023

Ben Meiselas reports on the tongue-lashing received by Donald Trump from Judge Arthur Engoron in court on Friday following MeidasTouchs' exclusive reporting that Trump violated his gag order. Engoron told TRUMPs' lawyers he was considering imprisonment or other sanctions.

Mary Trump Mocks Donald Trump After Judges' Threat

TRUMPs' estranged niece mocked the former president in a social media post after his trial judge in the New York fraud case threatened him with jail time on Friday.

The remarks from Judge Arthur Engoron were delivered as he reprimanded TRUMP for breaking a limited gag order imposed toward the beginning of the civil trial. Earlier this month, TRUMP shared a post from X, formerly Twitter, on his Truth Social network, asking,

"Why is Judge Engoron's Principal Law Clerk, Allison R. Greenfield, palling around with Chuck Schumer?" Included in the post was a link to Greenfield's personal Instagram page.

The gag order was subsequently put into place, with Engoron citing the "untrue disparaging and personally identifying post about my principal law clerk."

The latest admonishment from the judge occurred after the court realized that TRUMP's re-post that was immediately taken off of Truth Social following the gag order was still on the former president's website, and had been for the last 17 days.

The webpage was taken down late Thursday night, but Engoron said the removal only happened in response to an email from the court.

Ladybbird · 25-10-23, 05:01

EX Lawyer Michael Cohen Testifies Against TRUMP in New York FRAUD Trial

TRUMP Faces Off in Court With Cohen as Ex-Lawyer Testifies Against Him in TRUMP Organization Civil Trial

BBC 25 OCT 2023

Michael Cohen, former attorney for Donald Trump, enters the courtroom at State Supreme Court

Ex-President Donald Trump speaks during a break in his civil fraud trial at State Supreme Court on Tuesday in New York

Former President Donald Trump waits in the courtroom for proceedings to begin during week 4 of his civil fraud trial at State Supreme Court on Tuesday in New York City.

Michael Cohen, the disgraced former lawyer for Donald Trump, testified in a New York courtroom Tuesday about how the former president used inflated financial statements to support claims about his net worth, win deals, and lower insurance premiums, as the two former partners faced-off for the first time in years.

"What is the highest price per square foot achieved in the city," Cohen testified, when asked about how Trump used "reverse engineering" to set the value of his assets. "We would use those numbers to inflate these numbers."

Cohen is a key witness in the penalty phase of the trial, which will determine the amount of damages Trump will pay in the $250 million civil fraud case.

Trump was found guilty in September of grossly exaggerating the value of his real estate assets. Judge Arthur Engoron issued a summary ruling that found Trump's real estate business enriched itself by inflating the value of his New York properties, including his hotels and golf clubs.

Trump, who continues to deny he did anything wrong, attended Tuesday's proceeding to hear Cohen's testimony. It was the first time the former partners have crossed paths in more than five years.

"It appears that I will be reunited with my old client @realDonaldTrump when I testify this Tuesday, October 24th at the @NewYorkStateAG civil fraud trial. See you there!" Cohen wrote Friday on social media.

During his testimony, Cohen described how Trump would allow only limited access for insurance companies to view his financial statements.

"About three quarters of the way through the meeting, Mr. Trump would then come in, and there would be an extended conversation about his net worth, and that he was richer than the insurance companies," Cohen testified, adding that Trump's last-minute appearance at meetings was pre-planned.

According to Cohen, Trump also used inflated financial statements to claim his net worth was "in excess of eight billion dollars" in order to get a line of credit for a 2014 bid to purchase the Buffalo Bills.

During cross-examination, Trump lawyer Chris Kise told the judge the defense will prove Cohen "is a serial liar, and he lied to his wife," adding "This witness is completely out of control."

Kise also chastised the New York attorney general's office for failing to notify defense attorneys until Saturday that at least four members from the office tested positive for COVID-19 last Wednesday.

The case brought last September by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accuses Trump, his eldest sons and his family business of inflating Trump's net worth by more than $2 billion by overvaluing his real estate portfolio.

"It's really hypocritical," Kise said, adding that withheld information on their health exposed his team and the leading Republican presidential candidate.

During a break in Tuesday's testimony, Trump told reporters Cohen's "record is a horrible one," and that "He is not a credible witness."

Cohen was originally scheduled to appear last week but his testimony was delayed to attend to a pre-existing medical condition.

Under the Sept. 26 ruling, all of Trump's New York business licenses were revoked, as well as those of his co-defendants, including his two sons and Donald Trump Jr., his longtime finance chief Allen Weisselberg and his company, the Trump Organization.

Cohen, who was once one of Trump's most trusted aides, has admitted to being a central figure in Trump's illegal business schemes after spending a decade falsifying financial records before federal agents raided his New York home in April 2018.

Subsequently, Cohen cooperated with the investigation and took on a new role as chief witness against Trump following his own arrest and conviction for financial crimes, campaign finance violations and tax evasion, culminating in more than a year of imprisonment.

Testifying before the House Oversight Committee in 2019, Cohen said Trump consistently lied about the value of his New York real estate, which defrauded banks and insurers for years, prompting an investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James into Trump's holdings throughout the state.

Cohen was deposed ahead of the trial by prosecutors who presented portions of his sworn testimony during opening statements in late September before Engoron found Trump liable without a jury trial, citing overwhelming evidence in the case.

In a critical part of the deposition, Cohen said Trump "wanted to be higher on the Forbes list, and he then said, 'I'm actually not worth $6 billion. I'm worth 7. In fact, I think it's actually now worth 8, with everything that's going on,'" Cohen said, adding that he doctored Trump's assets alongside Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty to tax evasion in August 2022.

Years before exposing Trump's fraudulent business dealings, Cohen described his unwavering loyalty to Trump, pledging to act against Trump's adversaries on the campaign trail and elsewhere.

"It means that if somebody does something Mr. Trump doesn't like, I do everything in my power to resolve it to Mr. Trump's benefit," Cohen told ABC News in 2011. "If you do something wrong, I'm going to come at you, grab you by the neck and I'm not going to let you go until I'm finished."

Tuesday's appearance comes as the trial has taken several unexpected turns.

Last week, the proceedings were briefly halted after one of Trump's lawyers accused a witness of lying, which triggered several minutes of shouting in the courtroom. Trump hit the defense table with both hands in an apparent moment of frustration with his legal team.

Two days later, Engoron fined Trump $5,000 for violating a gag order placed on him Oct. 3, prohibiting Trump from making any public remarks about the judge and his staff.

In April, Trump filed a $500 million lawsuit against Cohen, accusing his former "fixer" of false statements and breach of attorney-client privilege. Trump dismissed the action earlier this month.

Part of Cohen's 2018 conviction was related to illegal hush money paid to former adult film star Stormy Daniels, with whom Trump allegedly had a sexual encounter that threatened to upend his 2016 campaign for president. In that case, Trump will go on trial in early 2024 after pleading not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records to repay Cohen hundreds of thousands of dollars off the books.

Trump is also scheduled to go on trial in New York on 15 Jan. in a defamation lawsuit brought by author E. Jean Carroll, who seeks $10 million in damages from Trump, claiming he defamed her in 2019 when he denied raping her in the 1990s, saying she was "not my type."

Another three criminal cases related to classified documents and election interference are due to take place during the height of the 2024 campaign, in which Trump is seeking the Republican nomination for re-election.

Ladybbird · 26-10-23, 03:40

TRUMP Fined $10,000 For Violating Gag Order After He Implied The Judges' Clerk is Partisan in New York Civil Trial

PLUS Judge Fines TRUMP $5,000 After Threatening Prison For Gag Order Violation in Civil FRAUD Trial For Failing to Remove From His Campaign Website Derogatory Post About The Judges' Clerk.

TRUMP Hauled to Witness Stand in Unexpected Twist During New York Fraud Trial - Judge Engoron Appeared Quite Angry

BBC 26 OCT 2023

TRUMP Receives Warning From Angry Judge Over Courtroom Behaviour During Fraud Trial

A judge warned TRUMP and others at his New York civil fraud trial to keep their voices down Wednesday after the former president threw up his hands in frustration and spoke loudly to his lawyers while a witness was testifying against him.

In an unexpected twist, former President Trump took the witness stand Wednesday in his New York civil trial to defend himself — not against any of the fraud charges he faces in the case but to respond to the judges’ assertion that he had violated a gag order in place.

The surprise, yet brief testimony took place after an afternoon break — before which the star of the day was his ex-fixer Michael Cohen. Cohen’s testimony itself also took an explosive turn during later cross-examination, when he appeared to contradict his own testimony about inflating Trump’s assets.

But it ended up being TRUMPs’ remarks earlier in the day that took center stage.

When TRUMP took the stand, Judge Arthur Engoron asked him about a comment he made to reporters regarding a “very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even more partisan than he is.”

The trial judge suggested that the person TRUMP was referring to was his principal law clerk, who is seated just to the right of the judge, which TRUMP denied. The gag order earlier imposed barred TRUMP and other parties in the case from speaking about the judge’s staff.

TRUMP nodded, then responded, “Yes.”

“To whom were you referring?” Engoron asked.

“You and Cohen,” TRUMP replied.

“Are you sure that you didn’t mean the person on the other side, my principal law clerk?” Engoron asked.

“Yes, I’m sure,” TRUMP said.

The former president, when prompted, added that he believes the judge’s clerk is “very biased against us” and explained that he took down the previous Truth Social post that sparked the gag order.

The post, made on Trumps’ Truth Social account, falsely derided the clerk as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) “girlfriend” and included personally identifying information about her. A Schumer spokesperson called the post “ridiculous, absurd, and false” in a statement to The Hill.

Engoron ordered Trump to take down the post at the time. While it was removed from Truth Social, it remained on Trumps’ campaign website for an additional 17 days. When that was made known to Engoron, the judge imposed a $5,000 fine on Trump for violating the order, warning that another violation could result in serious punishment, including steeper financial penalties, contempt or even jail time.

On the witness stand, Trump said he believed “one of the political groups, or PACs” left the post up, echoing comments his attorney, Chris Kise, made when the post’s presence on his campaign website was discovered.

“I didn’t know they were gonna do that,” Trump said.

Through his short testimony, Trump maintained a glum face and looked intently at the judge. When he trailed back to his seat, he kept his eyes on the floor.

Once Trump was seated, Engoron issued his order fining Trump $10,000 — which he called “on the liberal side.”

“As the trier of fact, I find that the witness is not credible,” Engoron said.

Kise objected to the order, suggesting the judge “presupposed some ill motive” on Trumps’ behalf.

Kise and Trumps’ other attorneys also claimed that the closeness of Engorons’ clerk to him has essentially made her a “second judge” in the case. The attorneys previously raised issues with Engoron and his clerks’ whispered sidebars, which sometimes include eye-rolling or sighs of exasperation.

Engoron rejected their objections and their assertions about his clerks’ role in his decision-making.

“Imake the final decisions,” angry Engoron said.

After the fine was imposed, Cohen retook the stand to continue his cross-examination by Clifford Robert, an attorney for Trump’s sons.

Cohens’ apparent contradictions began to catch up with him when confronted with his testimony and previously glowing words about his ex-client being used against him.

Robert presented Cohen with a transcript from his 2019 testimony about Trump’s business practices — the same testimony that New York Attorney General Letitia James has said inspired her case against Trump. At that time, Cohen had said that Trump did not direct him to inflate his net worth — which directly contradicted testimony he gave earlier this week.

“Mr. Trump never directed you to inflate the numbers in his personal statement. Yes or no?” Robert asked Cohen after a heated back and forth, where Cohen avoided answering the question.

“Yes,” Cohen said.

Trump threw his hands in the air and looked around the room, as did another of his attorneys, Alina Habba.

Robert asked for an immediate directed verdict after asserting that the governments’ “key witness” testified he was not directed by Trump to inflate the numbers. Without skipping a beat, Engoron denied the order.

TRUMP scoffed, stood abruptly and stormed out of the courtroom in a huff. His Secret Service detail followed, leaving the gallery in a stunned silence.

Ladybbird · 27-10-23, 18:44

Judge Orders Ivanka Trump to Testify in Fraud Case - Ivanka Trump Must Testify In Her Fathers’ N.Y. Fraud Trial

TRUMP Attacks FRAUD Trial Judge as Ivanka Ordered to Testify

BBC 27 OCT 2023

TRUMP also attacked the judge in his New York civil fraud trial after he was hit with a $10,000 fine for violating the gag order in the case.

This comes as his daughter Ivanka was ordered by the judge on Friday to testify in the trial. Attorneys for Mr Trump previously rejected a subpoena from the New York attorney generals’ office seeking his daughters’ testimony in the civil fraud trial that threatens Trumps’ business empire.

Ivanka Trump Tries Getting Out Of Testifying In NY Fraud Trial

Ladybbird · 29-10-23, 03:07

Cohen Predicts Outcome of TRUMP After Testimony

Michael Cohen Predicts Multiple Violations of TRUMPs’ Gag Order in Civil Fraud Case

BBC 29 OCT 2023

Former TRUMP Attorney Describes His Experience Testifying Against His Former Boss in The New York Civil Fraud Trial.

Ladybbird · 02-11-23, 02:10

Trump Jr Testifies in NYC Fraud Trial - Will Testify Again Tomorrow

Federal Prosecutor Renato Mariotti Discusses TRUMPs' Latest Social Media Attack on The New York Judge Overseeing His Civil Fraud Trial.

TRUMP has previously been fined $15,000 for violating a gag order barring comments about members of Judge Arthur Engorons’ staff.

BBC 2 NOV 2023

Donald Trump Jr cracked jokes and appeared in a jovial mood as he testified in court.

The questions from the prosecution seemed to be mainly background information; what was his role in the company? How was he involved in the Trust?

Those questions will likely ramp up when he is due back for round two tomorrow. Court is scheduled to start at 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT)

Donald Trump Jr is the first of the former presidents' children to testify in a New York civil fraud trial, with Eric and Ivanka to be called to the stand in the coming days

Eric and Donald Jr, who are both senior Trump Organization executives, are co-defendants in the case - alongside the former president

Trump and his sons have denied accusations they falsified business records and committed insurance fraud, among other claims

Ladybbird · 03-11-23, 03:30

Donald Trumps' Sons Defiant in New York Fraud Trial, Try to Shift Blame to Accountants

Donald Trumps' two eldest sons took the stand in a New York court, testifying in a civil fraud trial that threatens to engulf the familys' property empire.

BBC 3 NOV 2023

Prosecutors say Eric and Donald Trump Jr played key roles in the Trump Organization's efforts to exaggerate its wealth and falsify records.

In court, the brothers denied wrongdoing and sought to shift the blame onto the company's accountants.

Their sister Ivanka is also expected to testify later in November.

In his testimony on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, Mr Trump Jr frequently denied having worked on the financial statements at the centre of the case or having knowledge of how the statements and other important business documents were prepared.

The graduate of The Wharton School, an Ivy League business college, is executive vice-president at the Trump Organization, along with Eric.

He frequently stated that the documents were the responsibility of the company's accountants, the Mazars firm, and other employees.

"They have as much, if not more, information and details than I ever would have had," he said.

Asked whether he ever took any steps to ensure the documents he was signing off on were accurate, Mr Trump Jr replied: "I can't recall".

At one point, Judge Arthur Engoron attempted to cut to the heart of the matter, asking Mr Trump Jr directly whether he had anything to do with the documents.

"No I did not, your honour," he said.

Eric Trump testified after his brother Donald Trump Jr., and also sought to distance himself from the Trump organization's financial statements.

While his older brother projected confidence and made jokes in court, Eric was far more subdued and had several tense interactions with prosecutors during questioning.

The 39-year-old often refused to provide "yes" or "no" answers to prosecutors' questions, to their great frustration.

Like his brother, Eric attempted to distance himself from financial documents pertaining to his father and the wider Trump Organization, particularly statements of financial condition.

Andrew Amer, a senior lawyer with the New York attorney general's office, grilled him for several hours, displaying emails in which the Trump son appeared to contradict statements that he did not have "anything" to do with his father's financial statements.

In the emails, Eric Trump agreed to assist Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney with information about a property in Westchester, New York, for a financial statement.

Still, Eric Trump said he was not directly involved in preparing the document and did not pay particular attention to how the information was used.

"I didn't work on the statement of financial condition," he said. "I've been very, very clear about that."

Tensions flared toward the end of the day over another matter: Judge Engoron's law clerk.

The judge threatened to expand a gag order he had imposed on former President Donald Trump over a social media post about the clerk to include the family's attorneys.

Trump attorney Christopher Kise had made a reference to the female law clerk during an objection.

Judge Engoron, who has been protective of staff members involved in the high-profile case, ventured the reference "might be misogyny".

The admonishment and threat of expanded gag order did not sit well with the Trumps' lawyers, including Mr Kise, who said he felt the New York judge was biased against him.

"I do often feel like…I'm fighting two adversaries," Mr Kise said. "I'm not a misogynist. I'm very happily married and I have a 17-year-old daughter."

The Trumps' female attorney, Alina Habba, told the judge she did not believe Mr Kise to be misogynistic and said prosecutors needed to "move on" from their line of questioning.

"We've been here all day and have gotten, frankly, not very far," she said.

Former President Trump is expected to testify in the case early next week. He has previously appeared in court to watch the testimony of his former attorney, Michael Cohen.

He, like his sons, has denied any wrongdoing and earlier this week called Judge Engoron "a disgrace to the legal profession".

His daughter, Ivanka Trump - who is no longer listed as a co-defendant in the case - is expected to testify on 8 November.

On Wednesday, however, she appealed against the order to testify. Her attorney has argued that she has not lived or worked in New York since 2017.

The judge in the case, Arthur Engoron, has already ruled that the Trump Organization committed massive fraud.

The trial will ultimately determine what civil penalty should be imposed. New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking a fine of $250m (£204m) and a ban on the former president and his adult sons doing business in the state.

Ladybbird · 06-11-23, 14:21

TRUMP Returns to Court to Testify in His Civil FRAUD Trial

TRUMP to Give Landmark Testimony in New York FRAUD Trial

BBC 6 NOV 2023

In a historic moment for America, Donald Trump is set to give testimony under oath today in a case that threatens to topple his business empire.
The former president is expected to take the stand in his civil fraud trial in New York on Monday, days after his adult sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr testified last week.

The judge imposed a gag order earlier this month that blocks any parties from making comments about the court’s staff after the former president made a series of false and disparaging remarks about her outside the courtroom and on his Truth Social account.

Ladybbird · 07-11-23, 03:30

TRUMP in Court -Day on The Witness Stand...Backed Into a Legal Corner TRUMP Comes Out Swinging in Court

Angry Judge Engoron Chides TRUMP & Told Attorneys 'CONTROL Your Client This is a Court -NOT a Political Rally'

On Monday, Donald Trump was called to testify in the fraud trial against him in New York. He remained indignant on the stand, suggesting his strategy was more political than legal.

BBC 7 NOV 2023

Trumps' day in court was never going to go any other way. - Sparks fly as ex-president takes stand

On the stand for a landmark fraud trial, he approached his testimony just as he had his real estate business and political career: ignoring the rules and technicalities, and blustering and bragging his way through it.

His aggressive and freewheeling appearance on Monday offered a glimpse at how he may behave as a defendant in the four upcoming criminal cases against him.

The former president repeatedly angered Judge Arthur Engoron by refusing to directly answer the questions put to him by the attorney general's office.

Yes-or-no questions about accounting documents and dates became extended riffs on the incredible values of his properties, or the partisan leanings of the judge and prosecutors.

At one point, Mr Trump declared: "This is a very unfair trial...and I hope the public is watching."

While cameras were not allowed inside, dozens of reporters gathered in the courtroom to transmit his testimony to the outside world.

Likely understanding this fact, Mr Trump used his time on the stand to ardently defend himself with the same language he has used in social media statements and stump speeches to rile up his base. His Truth Social account even posted an attack on the judge during an afternoon break.

The attorney general's office and other prosecutors "were coming after me from 15 sides", he said in response to one question.

"All Democrats, all Trump haters, all cases that are not good," he said. "Weaponisation, they call it."

At times his responses were boastful, or simply odd.

To a question from Kevin Wallace of the attorney general's office about his brand's valuation, Mr Trump bragged: "I became president because of my brand."

And in response to questions about his golf course in Scotland, Mr Trump reverted to his political opposition to windfarms, one of which was built offshore his club. "I'm not a windmill person," he said.

Evasive and partisan answers continued on like this all morning.

"Can you control your client" Judge Engoron asked Mr Trump's attorneys at one point. "This is not a political rally."

It was one of several reprimands issued from the bench throughout the morning.

Witnesses usually do not speak without prompting, let alone at such length. But Mr Trump is no normal defendant.

His lawyer Chris Kise admitted as much after the umpteenth admonishment from Judge Engoron.

"It's an unusual situation," he said, arguing that Mr Trump should be allowed to speak due to his unique position.

The judge, however, was determined to treat Mr Trump like any other defendant.

Returning from the afternoon recess, Mr Trump was notably more subdued. Although there was one outburst about Ms James that the prosecution simply ignored, he stuck to shorter answers.

The attorney general's office has accused Mr Trump, his top employees and his companies of fraudulently inflating the value of their assets on statements of financial condition, or balance sheets, to get more favourable loans.

While on the stand, the 45th president tried to seize the opportunity to boast about the value of his brand - a path he used to great effect when launching his political career nearly a decade ago.

In between outbursts, Mr Trump tried to hammer home a defence that his assets were actually worth far more than the numbers on paper and that the banks he allegedly defrauded were paid back in full.

He claimed his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago was worth a "very big number", far in excess to the one listed on his statements of financial condition.

And he boasted that Trump Tower, his Fifth Avenue skyscraper, occupied the "best location in New York".

Mr Trump has been on the stand before. In fact, Judge Engoron put him there briefly earlier in the trial, after he made remarks that the judge believed referred to his clerk.

But he is doing so as a former president, current frontrunner for the Republican nomination, and a defendant in four separate criminal trials that, unlike this case, come with jail time. Those trials will play out one by one next year in tandem with the US presidential election.

Trump in court...Donald Trump appeared to mimic zipping his mouth closed, possibly referring to a gag order placed on him

With the threats against him mounting, Mr Trump has grown more aggressive in his rhetoric, reverting to the political street brawler that saw him seize the 2016 Republican nomination from establishment lawmakers.

He has attacked prosecutors directly by name, and lashed out at court staffers.

Judge Engoron placed Mr Trump under a gag order in early October after he made disparaging comments about his clerk, who sits to his right. So far, he has fined Mr Trump $15,000 (£12,150) and put his attorneys under a gag order as well, after they claimed the clerk was biased.

Midway through his morning testimony Trump dared to take a swipe directly at the judge.

"I'm sure the judge will rule against me because he always rules against me," Mr Trump said.

"You can attack me, you can do whatever you want," Judge Ergonon said. "But answer the question."

MORE;

Four surprises that could upend the 2024 US election

Trump Speech

Ladybbird · 09-11-23, 06:59

'TRUMP is Toast': Watergate Prosecutor Predicts Outcome of Trial

Nick Akerman, who was prosecutor during Watergate, discusses TRUMPs' strategy in the New York civil fraud case against the former president and the Trump Organization

Ivanka Trump, Eldest Daughter of TRUMP, Has Taken The Stand to Testify in The Civil Fraud - 'I Dont Recall' - Elusive Ivanka Tests Prosecutors' Patience...She Testified She Cannot Recall Loan Details

BBC 9 NOV 2023

Donald Trumps' daughter Ivanka took the stand on Wednesday at his ongoing civil fraud trial in New York.

Despite her appeasing demeanour, she did not reveal much in her testimony, frequently resorting to the refrain 'I don't recall'. Ivanka Trump testifies to New York fraud trial she cannot recall loan details

Ivanka Trump said she could not remember property deals she handled at her father's firm, as she testified in a civil fraud case that threatens his business empire.

A judge has already found Donald Trump and two adult sons, Eric and Donald Jr, liable for fraud, ruling they inflated assets to secure favourable loans.

Ivanka Trump, 42, was initially a co-defendant, too, until an appeals court ruling in her favour this year.

She fought hard to avoid testifying.

The mother-of-three had argued she could not leave her children in Florida during a school week.

But a New York judge and appeals court ruled she must take the stand as a witness.

This is a non-jury trial, in which the judge will decide on allegations of falsifying business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy.Trump - the former US president could be stripped of prized assets like Trump Tower. He and his sons deny wrongdoing.

Ladybbird · 13-11-23, 07:07

TRUMP: Legal Experts See Uphill Battle in N.Y. Fraud Case

TRUMP is The Most Corrupt Person to Ever Hold U.S. Office, Says Republican Congressman

BBC 13 NOV 2023

Last week marked the end of the most dramatic phase of Donald Trumps' New York business fraud trial, which saw high-profile members of his family make the journey to Lower Manhattan one by one to answer probing questions from prosecutors.

On Monday Trumps' defence team will begin presenting their side, calling the former president's oldest son back to the stand as their first witness. But legal analysts told the BBC that after two damaging weeks of testimony from members of the Trump family, salvaging their case now will be a herculean task.

"It's been a disaster from a legal perspective," said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and president of West Coast Trial Lawyers.

He believes that Trump is "going to lose this case, and lose badly".

In a worst-case scenario for Trump, Judge Arthur Engoron could bar him and his fellow defendants from doing business in New York, and issue fines of at least $250m (£204m) in penalties.

Perhaps the most harmful of all the testimony came from Trump himself. When he took the stand on Monday, he called New York Attorney General Letitia James a "political hack", declared the case "a disgrace" and personally attacked Judge Engoron.

At several points, Judge Engoron demanded Trumps lawyers rein in his behaviour, and answer the questions posed to him. If they did not, the judge pledged to "draw every negative inference that I can".

"If Donald Trump was anybody other than a person with Secret Service protection, he would have been jailed for contempt of court," said Mitchell Epner, an attorney who handles commercial litigation.

When he did directly respond to prosecutors' questions, Trump did perhaps even more damage to his cause.

At the heart of the attorney general's lawsuit are documents known as statements of financial condition, the balance sheets that the Trump Organization used to demonstrate the value of its properties and Trump's net worth so they could obtain loans and insurance rates.

The attorney general's office alleges those documents were fraudulently inflated to obtain deals they could not have received based on their true financials.

The judge had already ruled those documents were false. He is now weighing whether there was an intent to defraud, whether the defendants did so for personal gain, and other charges.

The judge will also determine whether to issue penalties and if so, how severe.

Judge Takes Off Glasses And Smiles as Camera Briefly Gets Into TRUMP Trial

Ladybbird · 14-11-23, 04:28

Donald Trump Jr. Testifies For Defense in New York Civil Fraud Trial

TRUMP Jr Returns to Witness Stand as Defense Makes Case in Fraud Trial

Eldest son answers questions from Trumps’ lawyers after saying earlier this month accountants were responsible for documents

BBC 14 NOV 2023

Trump Jr is the first witness to testify from the defenses’ witness list, which also includes Donald Trump and Eric Trump as witnesses, though it is unclear whether they will end up being called.

The New York judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled Trump should have his business licenses revoked for fraud, though the ruling is going through an appellate court.

The New York attorney generals’ office is suing Trump, his adult sons and other executives at the Trump Organization for inflating the value of assets on financial statements. They rested their case after Ivanka Trump testified last Wednesday. Trump faces a fine of at least $250m if found guilty at the end of the trial.

Trump’s eldest son had taken the stand on 1 November, where he said he did not work on the financial statements on the case – though he signed multiple documents affirming their fairness and accuracy – and said he expected banks to do their own “due diligence” rather than relying on the financial statements.

“I know a lot of bankers that do their own due diligence,” Trump Jr said on the stand.

Trump’s team did not question him during his first appearance. His lawyers will be trying to make their case that lenders were not harmed by and had actively sought out relationships with the Trump family.

In testimony so far, the Trumps have downplayed the importance of the financial statements, saying they were exclusively handled by the organization’s accountants and legal departments and that the family typically had enough cash on hand to conduct deals.

Though they were presented with multiple documents showing they were consulted over the financial statements and had signed off on deals where the statements were used to affirm the family’s net worth, the Trumps said they did not recall working on or using the statements.

When Trump himself took the stand, he furiously ranted against the judge and New York attorney general Letitia James, whom he called a “political hack”. His children, especially Ivanka Trump, were calmer on the stand but similarly tried to undermine the importance of the financial statements.

Trumps’ defense team said they will wrap up their witness testimonies by 15 December. The trial is scheduled to go until 22 December, though it could end before then.

Angry Trump Insults The Judge AGAIN and Called Him 'Obsessed' on His Social Media Account....WHY? ..

'If Trumps' team has adopted this antagonistic approach as a deliberate strategy, what could the goal be?

"I think he is trying to goad the judge into doing something he can argue on appeal shows prejudice on his part," Prof McMunigal said. "Maybe he makes a comment they can use to support a bias case later."
...DUH...

Secret Coup Video: Two Trump Aides Flip on Trump

Trumps' Shocking Rhetoric on Veterans' Day

Ladybbird · 25-11-23, 05:56

TRUMP Posts Insane 'Thanksgiving' Message at 2 AM With a List of Insults

Trump wished Americans a happy ‘Thanksgiving’ but that wasn’t all, the former US president laced his message with insults.

BBC 25 NOV 2023

“Happy Thanksgiving to ALL, including…”

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has brought a $250 million civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and his business; Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the Manhattan trial; and President Joe Biden.

Oh, and “all of the other Radical Left Lunatics, Communists, Fascists, Marxists, Democrats, & RINOS, who are seriously looking to DESTROY OUR COUNTRY.”

Trump ended with an upbeat message for his supporters, though.

“Have no fear, however, we will WIN the Presidential Election of 2024, & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! he concluded the post.

Ladybbird · 25-11-23, 06:47

TRUMP Stung by Filing on 'GAG Order Must Remain' in New York Civil Fraud Trial & Posts Insane Thanksgiving Message

Sky News Australia Posts Satirical Video of TRUMP and Argentinas’ President Milei Crashing Thanksgiving Dinner

BBC 25 NOV 2023

The Department of Justice submitted a court filing on Thanksgiving arguing that a gag order against the former president must remain while pointing to documents filed as part of the $250 million civil fraud trial in New York.

On Thursday, November 23, Cecil Vandevender, an assistant special counsel for the Department of Justice, notified the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals of a document which said that a gag order needs to be reinstated against Trump during the civil proceedings in New York, where state Attorney General Letitia James has accused the former president of fraudulently inflating the value of his properties in financial statements.

The government's court filings pointed the appeals court to one section in particular, in which an employee at the New York State Unified Court System details the "hundreds of threatening and harassing voicemail messages" which had been sent to Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the civil trial, as well as the judge's law clerk Allison Greenfield

Sky News Australia Host Reacts to Trump and Milei Crashing Thanksgiving Dinner...

Argentinas newly-elected President Javier Milei and Donald Trump taking part in a Griswold-style Thanksgiving dinner party. The doctored clip shows Javier Milei using a chainsaw to carve up the Thanksgiving turkey at the family table.

A dancing Donald Trump comes bursting out of the turkey. The pair then continue to dance together.

Milei recently took out a resounding victory in Argentinas presidential election.

Ladybbird · 30-11-23, 07:41

TRUMP Financial Watchdog Tells Judge About $40 Million in Previously Unreported Transfers

-- Deutsche Bank Executive Testifies in TRUMP NY Civil Trial

TRUMP DEMANDS Government Punish MSNBC For Critical Coverage

Media Still Not Ready to Cover ORANGE MAN TRUMP After Years of Lies

MSN 30 NOV 2023

Experts See Uphill Battle For TRUMP as Legal Cases Come at Him From All Sides

A watchdog told a New York judge about $40 million in cash transfers that were not previously disclosed by the Trump Organization, as is required to do.

The money was used to pay $29 million in taxes by former President Donald Trump, and to secure a civil judgment against him in the sex assault lawsuit by the writer E. Jean Carroll.

The monitor, Barbara Jones, was appointed in 2022 to monitor the financial statements of the Trump Organization as part of New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit against that firm.

Former Deutsche Bank Executive Testifies in TRUMP NY Civil Trial

'Make Them Pay': TRUMP DEMANDS Government Punish MSNBC For Critical Coverage

Media Still Not Ready to Cover TRUMP After Years of His lies

Ladybbird · 07-12-23, 06:20

Eric Trump Will NOT Testify at Trump Organization Fraud Trial After Father Claims He Told Him Not To

TRUMP claims he told his son not to testify since ‘His young life has already been unfairly disturbed and disrupted enough’

The Guardian 6 DEC 2023

Eric Trump walks to attend the trial against the Trump Organization at the New York state supreme court in New York City on 3 November

Light illuminates half of TRUMPS' face as he exits court in New York.

“I told my wonderful son, Eric, not to testify tomorrow at the RIGGED TRIAL,” Donald Trump wrote late on Tuesday night in a rant against the trial. TRUMP said that his son “already testified PERFECTLY”.

“There is no reason to waste any more of this Crooked Court’s time on having him say the same thing, over and over again, as a witness for the defense (us!). His young life has already been unfairly disturbed and disrupted enough on this corrupt Witch Hunt.”

TRUMP also confirmed in the post that he would take the stand on Monday. He is expected be the last witness to testify at the trial.

Eric Trumps’ appearance was supposed to be the first time a member of the Trump family has been on the stand since 13 November, when Donald Trump Jr appeared as the defense team’s first witness.

During his second time on the stand, Trump Jr spent much of his time extolling the “sexiness” of the Trump Organization’s assets, giving what at times felt like a real estate presentation.

Eric Trump last took the witness stand in early November when he denied involvement with various financial documents and appraisals, including ones he had signed off on or was consulted about. Eric Trump, along with his father and older brother, Donald Trump Jr, is a defendant in the trial.

The trial, which kicked off 2 October, is starting to wind down as the last of the former US president’s witnesses take the stand.

At stake for the family business is a $250m fine for illegally inflating the value of assets on state financial documents in order to boost Donald Trump’s net worth. Judge Arthur Engoron is the sole decider of the case, which does not have a jury.

Engoron issued a pre-trial ruling in September that, if accepted by an appeals court, will see Donald Trump lose his business licenses, making it nearly impossible for the Trump family to conduct business in New York.

After four weeks of witness testimony, Trump’s team has been trying to build its case that he had latitude when valuing his assets and that it was ultimately the responsibility of Trump’s accountants and lenders to ensure accuracy.

Trump has argued the company’s financial statements contained a clause that made them “worthless” and that they were unimportant to the banks making loan decisions. Engoron has already struck down that argument but Trump’s team has continued to return to it.

“These bankers were paid back in full, there was no harm, no anything, everybody got their money in full,” Trump said when he last took the witness stand on 6 November. “The banks don’t even know what they’re doing in this case.”

Trump is reportedly planning to attend the trial on Thursday. He has not made an appearance in court since he took the witness stand nearly a month ago.

Trump has attacked the case, the judge and his staff throughout the trial and has been pushing the limits of a gag order Engoron issued against him. Last week, Trump criticized Engoron’s wife, who has played no role in the trial, calling her the judge’s “Trump hating wife” on Truth Social.

Ladybbird · 11-12-23, 00:06

In a Reversal, TRUMP Says He Will NOT Testify in His Own Defense in New York Fraud Trial

The former president was scheduled to take the stand Monday as the months long, $250 million civil fraud trial against him and his company enters its final week.

AP 11 DEC 2023

In an eleventh-hour reversal, TRUMP announced Sunday he will not go back on the witness stand in the $250 million civil fraud trial against him and his company.

“I have already testified to everything & have nothing more to say other than this is a complete & total election interference (Biden campaign!) witch hunt” so “I will not be testifying on Monday,” TRUMP said in an all-caps, two-part post on his social media platform Truth Social.

TRUMP had been scheduled to testify Monday as one of the final defense witnesses in a trial that has lasted two months and is entering its final week of testimony.

He had been expected to tout his company’s success and push back on New York Attorney General Letitia James’ claims that he vastly overvalued his properties and his net worth in financial statements that he used to get favorable loans from banks that he otherwise would not have been entitled to.

Called as a witness by James’ team on Nov. 6, a combative Trump made similar claims while also launching attacks on the AG and the judge who will decide the case, Arthur Engoron. He called James a “political hack” who “should be ashamed of herself” and referred to Engoron as a “very hostile judge.” “He ruled against me and he said I was a fraud before he knew anything about me, nothing about me,” Trump said, referring to the judge’s pretrial finding that Trump and his company had engaged in repeated acts of fraud.

“It’s a terrible thing you did,” TRUMP told the judge of the order, which he is appealing.

James shrugged off TRUMP change of heart in a statement. "Whether or not Trump testifies again tomorrow, we have already proven that he committed years of financial fraud and unjustly enriched himself and his family. No matter how much he tries to distract from reality, the facts don’t lie,” the AG said.

TRUMP was under no obligation to testify since it’s his own defense case. His son Eric Trump similarly backed out of testifying this past Wednesday, which the elder Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday night he’d directed him to do.

Like his father, Eric Trump had testified as a witness in the AG’s case. “Eric has already testified, PERFECTLY,” Trump wrote, “so there is no reason to waste any more of this Crooked Court’s time on having him say the same thing, over and over again, as a witness for the defense.”

TRUMP sits between his two lawyers during his trial at New York State Supreme Court.

TRUMP used a similar rationale in his Truth Social posts on Sunday, writing in all-caps: "I have very successfully & conclusively testified" in the AG's "rigged trial against me." "The only fraud committed was by the highly partisan & out of control judge, & racist A.G.," he claimed.

'Only guilty people plead the 5th or refuse to testify in their own defense. The last time he was under oath, he pled the 5th over 400 times'

Ladybbird · 11-01-24, 17:19

TRUMP BARRED From Speaking in His Own Defense in Closing Argument in New York Fraud Trial

The judge in former President Donald Trumps' New York fraud trial has BLOCKED him from speaking in his own defense during closing arguments.

TRUMPS' Previous Offensive THREATS and Behaviour to Judges and Court Staff Has Made Judge Engoron Angry

MailOnline News 11 JAN 2024

TRUMPS' lawyer had informed Judge Arthur Engoron of the plan and the judge initially approved of it

On Wednesday, Engoron rescinded the decision, even though Trump is still expected to appear in court Thursday

Judge Arthur Engoron said he does not expect Donald Trump to speak during closing arguments in the $370 million New York civil fraud trial against Trump.

In a letter to attorneys for Trump and New York Attorney General Letitia James just after noon, Engoron said that Trump hasn’t agreed to conditions he set should the former president wish to give a statement

Kise also asked Engoron to postpone Thursday’s closing arguments until Jan. 29 due to the death of Trump’s mother-in-law.

Engoron refused that request because of security and scheduling concerns, but offered his condolences.

“I won’t debate this yet again. Take it or leave it," the judge shot back, with an all-caps addition: “I WILL NOT GRANT ANY FURTHER EXTENSIONS.”

Ladybbird · 11-01-24, 18:14

Justice Arthur F. Engorons' Long Island Home Was Hit With BOMB Threat Just Hours Before Closing Arguments in The TRUMP Bank Fraud Trial

Bomb threat is made at home of TRUMP bank fraud judge in attempt to disrupt trials' closing arguments: At least six police cars and the bomb squad arrive

TRUMPS' Previous Offensive THREATS and Behaviour to Judges and Court Staff Has Made Judge Engoron VERY Angry

MailOnline News 11 JAN 2024

Bomb threat is made at home of TRUMP bank fraud judge in attempt to disrupt trials' closing arguments: At least six police cars and the bomb squad arrive..

Judge Engoron had earlier rejected TRUMPS' request to speak on his own behalf during closing arguments

A bomb threat was made at the home of the judge presiding over TRUMPS' New York bank fraud trial hours ahead of closing arguments.

Cop cars were dispatched to the Long Island home of Justice Arthur F. Engoron on Thursday morning after someone threatened to blow up the residence.

A bomb squad was also on site, reported the Daily Beast.

The threat has been perceived by some as a tactic to delay the closing arguments of what has been a dramatic and heavily politicized trial.

Earlier this week, the judge barred the former president from making his own closing argument.

The decision solidified TRUMPS' view of Engoron as a 'TRUMP HATING JUDGE,' as per his post to Truth Social on Wednesday evening, which obviously incited the bomb threat.

Ladybbird · 12-01-24, 17:42

TRUMP and New York Judge That Had BOMB Threat, Had Contentious Exchange in Court

TRUMP Ignored Warnings From NY Fraud Trial Judge & Berates Him at Closing Arguments. Engoron Attempted to Interrupt TRUMP With a Warning W.O. Success

Daily Mail 12 JAN 2024

TRUMP ignored warnings from the judge in his New York civil fraud trial Thursday and turned closing arguments into an election campaign attack, claiming that prosecutors are out to stop his political comeback.

Prosecutors are demanding $370 million from TRUMP over fraud allegations -- and to bar him from conducting business in the state where he made his name as a celebrity real estate tycoon.

TRUMP had sought to deliver full closing arguments himself, but permission was denied when he failed to sign off on restrictions aimed at stopping him from using the courtroom as an electioneering platform.

Judge Arthur Engoron then allowed TRUMP to make brief additional comments after his lawyer had spoken -- again insisting that the Republican presidential candidate and former president respect courtroom rules.

Trump almost immediately launched into a bitter attack on the New York state attorney general, saying, "They want to make sure I never win again. The (attorney general) hates Trump... and if I can't talk about that it's a disservice."

Engoron attempted to interrupt Trump with a warning to wrap up his statement and Trump responded: "You have your own agenda, you can't listen for more than one minute.

Engoron told Trump's lawyer to "control your client."

This trial is one of multiple criminal and civil cases Trump faces as he seeks to return to the White House, ranging from a rape allegation to conspiring to overturn the 2020 election result.

He is accused of fraudulently inflating or deflating the value of his properties in order to obtain favorable bank loans or insurance terms.

"The myriad deceptive schemes they employed to inflate asset values and conceal facts were so outrageous that they belie innocent explanation," New York Attorney General Letitia James's office said in a filing.

If found liable, the amount to be paid by Trump and his companies will be revealed in the judge's final order, for which no date has been confirmed.

As the case is civil rather than criminal, there is no threat of jail time.

TRUMP Has a NEW Principal Occupation - He is Now a Defendant....

Ladybbird · 01-02-24, 16:01

As TRUMP Awaits Verdict, Monitors’ Report Could Raise TRUMPS Risk in $370 Million Fraud Case

TRUMPS' Misrepresentations Cost Banks $168M, Expert Testified

-HOW & Where Does He HOPE to Get Any NEW Loan?..

TRUMPS' Attorney Criticized Independent Monitors' Report

1 FEB 2024

As Trump Awaits Fraud Penalty, a Monitors’ Report Could Raise His Risk

A monitor drew attention to “deficiencies” in the Trump Organizations’ financial reporting ahead of a verdict in a case brought by New York State that seeks $370 million.

As a New York judge weighs Donald J. Trumps’ civil fraud case, new accusations of deficiencies in his companys’ financial reporting could provide the judge with ammunition for a forceful ruling against the former president and his family business.

ECB President: 'I DON'T regret warning about Donald Trump'

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde tells CNN's Richard Quest that Europe needs to prepare for a potential doomed second Trump presidency.

Ladybbird · 02-02-24, 20:07

TRUMP Organization FRAUD: TRUMP is Toast - Former CFO Talking to Prosecutors About Perjury Plea Deal

Former TRUMP Chief Finance Officer Talking to Prosecutors:

Weisselberg Poised To Plead Guilty To Perjury In NY Civil Fraud Case. Ex-Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg Was Released From Rikers Island in APRIL 2023

MSNBC 2 FEB 2024

Allen Weisselberg Finance Officer Has Already Done Time in Rikers.

Weisselberg pleaded guilty to tax fraud and was sentenced to five months in jail.

Donald Trumps' former long time finance chief is negotiating a deal with Manhattan prosecutors that would involve pleading guilty to perjury for testimony he gave in Trumps' civil fraud trial.

Well, Well, Well …

I know the web of Trump legal entanglements is hard to keep track of, but this is a salient development in a very live case where a judgment is soon expected that could force Trump to disgorge millions of dollars and bar him from the New York real estate biz.

Longtime Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg is in talks with the Manhattan DA’s office to plead guilty to committing perjury during his testimony in the civil fraud trial brought by state Attorney General Letitia James, the NYT is reporting. I should emphasize that the plea deal isn’t final yet, and the NYT report is based on unnamed sources.

According to the report, Weisselberg would admit to lying on the stand and to lying under oath in an interview with James’ office.

Prosecutors have been leaning on Weisselberg to flip against Trump for a very long time. But this new report suggests even a perjury conviction isn’t going to be enough to flip Weisselberg, who already spent time in jail for his conviction on engaging in fraudulent business practices while at the Trump Org: “The deal being negotiated would most likely not require Mr. Weisselberg, 76, to turn on his former boss.”

Still, Weisselberg was at the center of the Stormy Daniels’ hush money scheme, for which Trump is set to go to trial in coming weeks, in what will now likely be his first criminal trial, and a guilty plea here could bolster Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s case while undermining Trump’s defense.

Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for the verdict on damages and penalties in the underlying civil fraud case. The judge had set a self-imposed deadline for himself to rule of Jan. 31, but the court confirmed yesterday that the ruling won’t come until early to mid-February.

Not clear if the delay is in any way related to separate Weisselberg prosecution.

Ladybbird · 17-02-24, 09:09

King of DEBT TRUMP Ordered to Pay $355MIL and Barred From Doing Business in New York For 3 Yrs by Judge Whose Long Island Home Was Hit With BOMB Threat. Judge Arthur Engoron Issued The Order on Friday.

TRUMPS' sons Eric and Don Jr. are also banned from serving in top roles at New York company for two years and ordered to pay $4 million each.

How will He Pay The $438MIL He Owes in Penalties From Civil Trials? Donations Have Considerably DROPPED
Since His Lurid Accusations Against D.A. Fani Willes

The properties TRUMP may have to sell off to cover $355M fraud verdict including Trump Tower his golf courses and his New York estate

MailOnline 17 FEB 2024

Trump valued his Park Avenue Apartments at $50 million over 65 times the $750,000 those units were appraised at in 2010

In 1995 Trump purchased his 213-acre Seven Springs estate in Westchester County, New York for $7.5 million

Trumps Florida estate the court found Trump inflated the value of as much as 2,300%. Tax appraiser estimates put it between $18 and $27.6 million

TRUMP has long touted his vast real estate empire, but the future of the embattled former presidents' property holdings remains unclear after the former president was ordered to pay more than $350 million in the blockbuster civil fraud trial and banned from doing business in New York for three years.

In the end, Trump could have to sell property or other assets to cover his legal penalties.

How Will He Pay $438MIL?

Two giant penalties handed down in a matter of weeks will cost him millions – and that’s only part of what he could owe

In a matter of weeks, Donald Trump was hit with two giant penalties from two civil trials in New York – $83m for defamation against the writer E Jean Carroll and $354.9m for inflating the value of his assets on government financial statements.

The verdicts combined will cost him some $438m, and that’s only part of what Trump could owe across numerous lawsuits. The payments will probably create a sizable dent in his wallet. Bloomberg’s billionaires’ list estimated that Trump’s net worth in 2021 was about $2.3bn, meaning these two rulings alone could take out almost a fifth of Trump’s net worth.

Trumps finances have been notoriously opaque, not least because the Trump Organization is a private business, meaning it does not have to file public financial reports. But here’s what we know about what Trump has to pay and how it will affect his finances.

It All Depends on The Appeals

Trump is likely to appeal both cases, the outcomes of which could affect how much he ends up owing. It is unclear how long the appeals will take. For reference, an appeals court has yet to rule on a May 2023 ruling for a separate Carroll case that found Trump guilty of sexual abuse and defamation. Trump was ordered to pay $5m in damages in that case.

Also, the appeals court is technically considering two appeals coming out of Trump’s fraud trial. The first appeal came after a September pre-trial ruling found Trump guilty of fraud, ordering the removal of his business licenses.

The second appeal is about the penalty the New York judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay after the months-long trial. It is unclear whether the appeals court will decide on the two appeals together or separately, but it will probably be at least a few months before any decision is announced.

Bankruptcy For Trump is Unlikely

While $438m is no small sum, Trump is wealthy. Trump ally Rudy Giuliani declared bankruptcy after a jury ordered him to pay $148m to two Georgia election workers; the former New York mayor has declared he owes between $100m and $500m and has assets of between $1m and $10m.
To declare bankruptcy, Trump would have to prove that the verdict outweighs his assets, something that is highly unlikely.

During a deposition with prosecutors for the fraud trial in April 2023, Trump said that he had more than $400m in cash. However, last year, Forbes reported that Trump had since invested the bulk of his cash in bonds and treasuries, with a small portion kept in stocks and mutual funds. After his guilty verdicts, Trump will probably have to sell a good chunk of those investments.

A big question is whether Trump will have to touch anything in his real estate portfolio. Trump has gotten a cash boost from selling his properties before: he sold his golf club in the Bronx last year, and in 2022, he completed the sale of the Old Post Office building in Washington DC, which was converted into a hotel.

Court documents showed that the sale of the Old Post Office netted $131.4m before taxes, according to the New York Times.

It will be a tough decision for a man who, just several years ago, claimed he was worth $10bn. This pride in his wealth has recently been used against him.

In closing arguments in Carroll’s January trial, her lawyers told the jury that they should punish Trump with higher damages precisely because he claims he is so wealthy.

“A billionaire like Donald Trump could pay a million dollars a day for 10 years and still have money left in the bank,” Carroll attorney’s Roberta Kaplan told the jury on 26 January. “It will take an unusually high punitive damages award to have any hope of stopping Donald Trump.”

Trump will still have to pay the court, even as appeals go through

Even though Trump is waiting on multiple appeals decisions, he will have to give the court the money to hold on to. If Trump wins any of his appeals, he can get his money back.

Trump has a few options in paying the court. He could pay up everything that he owes now in cash. Or he could try to get an appeal bond, meaning he wouldn’t have to pay all the cash up front in exchange for a premium and putting up collateral.

In his May 2023 Carroll case, Trump set aside the $5m he owed in cash, saving him about $55,500 in what would have been bond premiums. Though Trump may prefer to pay out the verdicts in cash, it is unclear whether he has enough on hand to avoid a bond this time.

Trump is rich with campaign money, but spending it on personal legal expenses will be complicated

Trump has been zealously fundraising off his legal troubles, probably because he has sizable legal fees for his two civil trials and four criminal trials.

What Trump can pay for using his campaign money is unclear. A federal law bans candidates from using campaign funds for personal use, making it unlikely that Trump can use campaign funds to help pay off some of the Carroll award and fraud penalty.

But Trump has not shied away from using campaign funds for some of his trials. The Associated Press reported in October that Trumps’ Save America political action committee (Pac) had paid $37m in legal fees, more than half of the Pac’s total spending.

And the money kept flowing in. Trump was the Republican candidate who received the most donations last fall, raising $45.5m in the third quarter. Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of the race in January, raised the second most, taking in about $30m.

“He built his business by lying to people.”

TRUMP Fined Eye-Watering $355 Million in Fraud Case

TRUMP Says Judge is a VERY Crooked Man

Ladybbird · 22-02-24, 13:04

REVENGE; NY AG Letitia James Says She WILL SEIZE TRUMPS’ Assets If He Fails to Pay $355m Fraud Fine

AG Letitia James wants to seize TRUMPS’ assets — including some of his prized NYC properties

New York attorney general says she may seek enforcement mechanisms in court if ex-president does not have funds to pay

The Guardian 22 FEB 2024

The New York state attorney general, Letitia James, said that she will seize Donald Trumps’ assets if he does not pay the $355m civil fraud fine stemming from his financial fraud trial.

“If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets,” James said to ABC News in an interview on Tuesday evening.

James added that she would not hesitate to seize Trumps’ buildings, including his 40 Wall Street skyscraper in Manhattan.

“We are prepared to make sure that the judgment is paid to New Yorkers, and yes, I look at 40 Wall Street each and every day,” James told ABC.

Last Friday, a New York judge fined Trump, his two eldest sons, and associates $354.8m and $100m in pre-judgment interest after ruling that Trump had falsely reported his net worth to obtain more favorable loan terms. Trump overstated his net worth by as much as $3.6bn a year, the judge, Arthur Engoron, ruled.

Trump and his legal team have denied any wrongdoing and decried the verdict as politically motivated. They have said they will appeal the ruling.

Trumps’ attorney, Alina Habba, attacked the verdict as “manifest injustice” and part of a “multi-year, politically fueled witch-hunt that was designed to ‘take down Donald Trump’”.

Trump claimed on his platform Truth Social that there were no victims in the case.

But James told ABC that she believes in the strength of her case, noting that “financial frauds are not victimless crimes”.

“He engaged in this massive amount of fraud. It wasn’t just a simple mistake, a slight oversight, the variations are wildly exaggerated, and the extent of the fraud was staggering,” James said.

The latest fine comes in addition to a $83.3m judgment against Trump for a defamation suit brought by the journalist and author E Jean Carroll.

Ladybbird · 23-02-24, 10:08

TRUMP Gets SMACKED DOWN by Judge Over Attempt to NOT Pay Judgment For a Month

TRUMP asks judge to delay enforcing the $355 million civil fraud decision for one month

MSN 23 FEB 2024

Former President Donald Trump asked the judge overseeing the civil fraud case to delay enforcing the $355 million judgment against him for one month.

In a letter to Judge Arthur Engoron, Trumps’sattorneys accuse New York Attorney General Letitia James of an “unseemly rush” to enforce the judgment by submitting a proposal for the judge to sign just days after the ruling.

Trump has 30 days from when a judgment is entered to post bond and appeal.

Last week, the judge ordered Trump to pay $355 million plus interest and imposed a three-year ban from acting as an officer of a New York business.

Trump’s attorney said if the judge decides to enter the attorney general’s judgment the defendants “request the Court stay enforcement of that Judgment for thirty (30) days. Given that the court-appointed monitor continues to be in place, there is no prejudice to the Attorney General in briefly staying enforcement to allow for an orderly post-Judgment process, particularly given the magnitude of Judgment.”

The New York attorney generals’ office opposed Trumps’ request in a court filing Thursday, stating there’s “no room for further debate.”

A lawyer for the state said the judges’ order was clear and Trumps’ lawyer didn’t provide any basis for the 30-day extension they are seeking.

'Uncle Donald is A Loser': Mary Trump

Ladybbird · 25-02-24, 04:13

TRUMPS' Financial Problems SURGE With SERIOUS Court Update - The 30-Day Clock Starting on TRUMPS' $455 Million Fraud Judgment

New York Court Rules TRUMP Owes MORE Than $454 Million in Civil Fraud Case - Includes Interest

Judge formally says TRUMP owes $454 million in civil fraud case, countdown starts for him to put up the money for appeal

MSN 25 FEB 2024

A New York judge on Friday formally ordered Donald Trump to pay $454 million, including interest, a move that will give the former president one month to post nearly half a billion dollars to appeal the fraud verdict.

Judge Arthur Engorons’ signed judgment was posted to the court docket Friday, one week after he found Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump liable for fraud in the civil case brought by New York Attorney General Letita James.

Once Trump and the others are served with the judgment, the 30-day clock for them to file an appeal starts.

During that period Trump will need to put up cash or post bond to cover the $355 million and additional roughly $100 million in interest he was ordered to pay.

The sons were each ordered to pay $4 million back in gains they improperly received because of the fraud.

The judge also banned the Trumps from serving as officers of a business entity in New York for several years.

Earlier Friday, James posted on X, “Friday feeling: No one is above the law.”

Representatives for the Trump Organization have not responded to questions about who will run the company as it faces leadership challenges while Trump is campaigning to clinch the Republican nomination for president in between court appearances.

TRUMP has vowed to appeal. But he doesnt have the money to do so.

Ladybbird · 29-02-24, 03:43

White Powder Spills From Envelope Sent to TRUMP Fraud Judge Who Received BOMB Threat

A suspicious envelope containing white powder addressed to New York Judge Arthur Engoron, who imposed a $454 million fraud penalty against Donald Trump, was intercepted at a Manhattan courthouse Wednesday

MSNBC 29 FEB 2024

“Officers responded to a 911 call for a suspicious powder found at 60 Centre Street," police said. "A New York state court officer opened an envelope and white powder fell out. No injuries reported at this time and the building is not being evacuated."

Two individuals exposed to the potentially dangerous substance were isolated while the incident is investigated, but the judge was not exposed.

Also Wednesday, the former president's lawyers asked an appeals court to pause the penalty while the appeal was considered.

Engoron issued the verdict earlier this month after a civil fraud trial in a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who alleged that Trump, his company, two top executives and the former president's two adult sons routinely inflated the value of real estate assets to obtain more favorable loans.

Ladybbird · 01-03-24, 06:54

Appellate Judge Refuses to Halt TRUMPS' $454 MIL Fraud Penalty While He Appeals

A New York appellate judge has refused to halt collection of Donald Trump’s $454 million civil fraud penalty

TRUMP finally forced to make confession he's been DREADING. He can't afford to pay the $455 million judgment.

MSN 1 MAR 2024

TRUMP Will Post $100 Million In Fraud Case—But Asks Appeals Court To Pause $454 Million Judgement

A New York appellate judge Wednesday refused to halt collection of Donald Trump’s $454 million civil fraud penalty while he appeals, leaving the former president less than a month to pay the staggering sum or secure a bond covering the full amount he owes.

Judge Anil Singh of the state’s mid-level appeals court rejected Trump's offer of a $100 million bond, though he did give Trump leeway that could help him secure the necessary bond before New York Attorney General Letitia James seeks to enforce the judgment starting March 25.

Singh granted a stay pausing part of Judge Arthur Engoron’s Feb. 16 verdict that barred Trump, his company and co-defendants from borrowing money from New York financial institutions. The Republican presidential front-runner’s lawyers had told the appellate court earlier Wednesday that the lending ban had made it impossible for him to secure a bond for the full amount.

Trump’s lawyers warned he may need to sell some properties to cover the penalty and would have no way of getting them back if he is successful in his appeal. State lawyers said those disclosures suggested Trump — who has more than a half-billion dollars in pending court debt — was having trouble coming up with enough cash to foot the bill. The penalty is increasing by nearly $112,000 each day because of interest and will eclipse $455 million on Saturday.

Trump’s lawyers proposed their smaller bond amount in court papers asking the appellate court for an order preventing James’ office from enforcing the judgment while his appeal plays out. Singh, sitting in the Appellate Division of the state’s trial court, ruled after an emergency hearing Wednesday.

Singh's decision is temporary. A five-judge appellate panel will consider Trump’s request on an expedited basis, with a ruling expected in a few weeks. State lawyers must submit paperwork by March 11. Trump's lawyers have until March 18 to respond.

Ladybbird · 06-03-24, 09:54

Trump Organization CFO Pleads Guilty to Perjury.

Allen Weisselberg 76, former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, Pleads Guilty to perjury charges related to testimony he gave in a civil investigation into the real estate company’s finances

MSNBC 6 MAR 2024

The former financial director of Donald Trump's organization pleaded guilty to perjury for giving false information linked to the ex-president's civil fraud trial, prosecutors said on Monday.

Allen Weisselberg, 76, was the chief financial officer of former president Trump's real estate and entertainment group from 2005 to 2021.

In return for admitting guilt linked to two counts of perjury committed during a deposition about the valuation of Trump's New York penthouse apartment, Weisselberg will be sentenced to a lesser term of five months imprisonment.

The offenses for which he was charged carried prison terms of up to seven years, according to the plea document.

Prosecutors also agreed not to seek further charges against Weisselberg linked to his time at the Trump Organization.

On February 16, Trump was hit with a $355 million penalty -- significantly more including interest -- after being found liable for fraudulently manipulating the value of his properties to obtain favorable conditions on loans and insurance.

Trump, a prominent property developer and businessman in New York before entering politics, could have to sell or mortgage properties to post collateral to cover the shattering penalty if his ongoing appeal against the ruling fails.

"(Allen) Weisselberg agrees to plead guilty to two counts of perjury in the first degree," said the plea agreement signed by the former Trump lieutenant.

His formal sentencing will be held on April 10, it added.

"It is a crime to lie in depositions and at trial -- plain and simple. Allen Weisselberg took an oath to be truthful, and then committed perjury," a spokesperson for the New York District Attorney said in a statement.

Weisselberg has previously served time in New York's notorious Rikers Island prison for his role in corporate tax fraud for which the Trump company was fined $1.6 million.

He was personally fined $2 million after pleading guilty and agreeing to testify in the trial of Trump's company.

Weisselberg's testimony helped prosecutors gain the conviction of the Trump Organization and sister firm Trump Payroll Corp on 17 similar fraud and tax evasion charges that involved falsifying business records.

Although he testified against the company, Weisselberg did not implicate the former president, who is again running for the White House in 2024, in any crime.

"Allen Weisselberg looks forward to putting this situation behind him," his lawyer Seth Rosenberg said in a statement to AFP.

Ladybbird · 06-03-24, 18:06

'TRUMP is Afraid': He Met With Elon Musk and Wealthy GOP Donors in Florida as He Hunts For Cash

Is TRUMP Out of Cash? He Does NOT Have Funds to Cover His $454MIL Fraud Loss

Elon Musk Makes It Clear: He's NOT Going to Donate to TRUMP OR His Campaign

MSNBC 6 MAR 2024

Former President Donald Trump reportedly met with billionaire Elon Musk in Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday

TRUMP crossed paths with Musk and a handful of Republican donors but is hoping to have a lengthier one-on-one meeting with the electric car and space tycoon in the future, sources told the New York Times.

Specifics of the encounter were sparse.

Trump and Musk famously butt heads in 2017, when the tech guru exited two business-related councils in protest of the then-presidents’ withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords.

Musk vocally criticized some of Trumps’ policies in the past. He publicly stated that he backed President Biden in 2020 over Trump and voiced support for alternatives to Trump in the 2024 Republican primary.

Ladybbird · 18-03-24, 19:16

TRUMP Fraud Judgment: Ex-POTUS Says Posting Full $454 Million Bond ‘Not Possible’ As Deadline Looms

More Than 30 Underwriters REFUSED to Back The Bond, Due by End of This Month.

Road to Donald Trumps’ financial demise': AG James could seize properties as TRUMP is unable to make $464 million bond in NY civil fraud case,

MSNBBC 18 MAR 2024

“The amount of the judgment, with interest, exceeds $464 million, and very few bonding companies will consider a bond of anything approaching that magnitude,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.

(TRUMP himself was ordered to pay $454 million; the $464 million includes the disgorgement for his adult sons Don Jr. and Eric.)

Former President Donald Trump can’t find an insurance company to underwrite his bond to cover the massive judgment against him in the New York attorney general’s civil fraud case, his lawyers told a New York appeals court.

Trump’s attorneys said he has approached 30 underwriters to back the bond, which is due by the end of this month.

An insurance broker, Gary Giulietti, who testified for Trump during the civil fraud trial, signed an affidavit stating that securing a bond in the full amount “is a practical impossibility.”

Potential underwriters are seeking cash to back the bond, not properties, according to Trump’s lawyers.

Trump’s lawyers have asked the appeals court to delay posting the bond until his appeal of the case is over, arguing that the value of Trump’s properties far exceed the judgment. If the appeals court rules against him, Trump asked the court to delay his posting the bond until his appeal to New York’s highest court is heard.

Last month, Trump was ordered to pay $355 million in disgorgement, or “ill-gotten gains,” by New York Judge Arthur Engoron in a civil fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Engoron wrote in his 93-page decision that Trump and his co-defendants – including his adult sons – were liable for fraud, conspiracy and issuing false financial statements and false business records, finding that the defendants fraudulently inflated the value of Trump’s assets to obtain more favorable loan and insurance rates.

The amount Trump owed surpassed $450 million with interest included.

Trump is appealing the ruling, but in order to stop the state from enforcing the judgment, Trump has to post a bond to be held in an account pending the appellate process, which could take years to litigate.

Trump posted a $91.6 million bond earlier this month as part of his appeal in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case.

But Giulietti said some of the biggest underwriters have internal policies that limit them from securing a bond in excess of $100 million. None of them, he said, including some of the largest insurance companies in the world, will accept real estate – they are only comfortable taking cash or stock.

Ladybbird · 21-03-24, 19:13

NY Attorney General Letitia James Takes First Step to Seize TRUMPs' Seven Springs Resort and N.Y. Golf Course If He Misses 25 March Deadline

She is already making preparations to seize former President Donald Trumps' properties in New Yorks' Westchester County as the Monday deadline for him to post bond in the civil fraud judgment draws near.

AP 21 MAR 2024

Seven Springs Resort

N.Y. Golf Course

Donald Trumps' 2 Most Profitable Properties Could Be Seized

According to Bloomberg News, "New York state’s $454 million judgment against Donald Trump in a civil fraud lawsuit was formally registered in Westchester County just outside Manhattan, a sign that his properties in the area may be at risk of being seized if the former president fails to post an appeal bond."

The report states, while the filing didn't specify a reason for the registration, it is the first step to allow James to secure property liens — and there are two valuable Trump properties in the affluent Westchester County: Trump National Golf Club Westchester, and his Seven Springs estate, a 212-acre resort complex that is partially undeveloped.

"James has said she’s prepared to start seizing Trump assets if he misses a March 25 deadline to post a bond for 120% of the judgment to put it on hold while he appeals," noted the report. "She hasn’t started that process, and the registration in Westchester County doesn’t automatically mean she will attempt to seize the properties.

"It’s nevertheless a clear sign they’re at risk."

The judgment against Trump came after a lengthy trial in which James demonstrated that Trump, his two adult sons and his former chief accountant Allen Weisselberg systematically lied about property valuations to get preferential tax treatment and loan terms, depriving banks and government agencies of millions in revenue and interest.

While Trump was able to post bond in a separate $83.3 million defamation judgment won against him by writer E. Jean Carroll, his lawyers have stated in court filings that he has not been able to find a backer for the half a billion he owes in the civil fraud case.

Ladybbird · 23-03-24, 09:38

Judge in TRUMPs' Organization Civil FRAUD Case Imposes ENHANCED Monitor to Oversee TRUMPs' Finances

Former FED Judge Barbara Jones has been installed for the next three years to Monitor & Expose TRUMPs' LIE about his wealth....

PLUS FED Judge Barbara Jones's SHOCKING LETTER to Judge Engoron

MSNBBC 23 MAR 2024

Judge Engoron enhancing the court monitor Barbara Jones' control over TRUMPs' company

TRUMPs’ new court-appointed ‘Watchdog,’ Retired FED Judge Barbara Jones, can now inspect the company books

Effective Thursday, former President Donald Trumps' namesake family real estate company has a babysitter.

New York Judge Arthur Engoron, who oversaw TRUMPs' civil fraud trial, imposed a monitor over the Trump Organization as part of a judgment that also required Trump to pay a nearly-half billion dollar penalty.

Barbara Jones, a retired federal judge, has been overseeing the Trump Organization's finances since November 2022 as part of a preliminary injunction. She is now installed for the next three years.

As part of the arrangement, the Trump Organization must open its books to Jones, who has also been given the ability to suggest court-ordered changes in how the Trump Organization operates.

She must be notified about any large cash transfers, the creation or dissolution of assets, the restructuring of debt and "any efforts to secure surety bonds," according to Engoron's order issued Thursday.

Judge Engoron in February ordered Trump to pay $464 million in disgorgement and pre-judgment interest after he found the former president and his adult sons liable for using "numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation" to inflate his net worth in order to get more favorable loan terms. Trump has denied all wrongdoing and has appealed the decision in the case.

Trump is facing a Monday deadline to secure a bond to guarantee payment of the $464 million judgment should he lose his appeal. His lawyers have said it is "a practical impossibility," but New York Attorney General Letitia James suggested Trump had not explored all of his options.

The imposition of a monitor could limit Trump's ability to maneuver his money and his physical assets, as he attempts to secure the bond and pay his debts.

"Defendants shall not evade the terms of this Monitorship Order by transferring assets, reincorporating existing business entities in other forms or jurisdictions, modifying entity ownership, or any other form of restructuring or change in corporate form," Judge Engoron said in his order.

Judge goes ALL IN, takes AGGRESSIVE action against TRUMP

NY Fraud Case will expose TRUMPs' foundational political LIE about his wealth

TRUMP clashes with his OWN attorneys as court deadline looms

TRUMPs' properties can't save him from his massive bond problem

MORE: TRUMP in Trouble-
50+ $$$Millions Parking Debt Scandal: FED Judge Barbara Jones's SHOCKING LETTER to Judge Engoron

In this eye-opening video, we delve deep into retired federal Judge Barbara Jones's recent letter to Justice Arthur Engoron in the New York Attorney General civil fraud case. We uncover the shocking revelations about TRUMPs' unlawful debt parking scheme and attempts to evade taxes.

The letter serves as a compelling roadmap, demanding urgent investigation into serious fraud. Stay tuned for a comprehensive analysis of the financial intricacies.. that could lead to MORE potential legal battles.

Ladybbird · 25-03-24, 17:54

Civil FRAUD Case -New York Appeals Court Lowers TRUMPs' Bond to $175MIL..And Gives Him 10 Days to Secure It

‘Absolute GROSS Miscarriage of Justice’: TRUMP Bond Lowered by $289MIL With More Time

''If a normal person couldn't pay a 5k bond, they'd be in jail or they take your assests. This is disgusting''

The Guardian 25 MAR 2024

MORE and MORE Judges Are Getting ANGRY & It WONT Bode Well For TRUMP in The FINAL ROUND

Judge Juan Merchan raised his voice while questioning TRUMPs' attorneys in The Hush Money CASE...

As Trump attorney Todd Blanche blamed the New York District Attorney's office for not pressuring federal prosecutors to turn over additional documents related to Michael Cohen, Judge Merchan asked why Trump's attorneys didn't ask for additional documents from the Southern District of New York after receiving the first production last May.

A New York court handed Donald Trump a lifeline on Monday as time ran out for the former president to secure a bond covering the $454m loss for his recent fraud case.

A panel of appellate court judges gave Trump 10 days to secure a far smaller $175m bond just hours before New York’s attorney general could legally begin the long, slow process of seizing his assets.

The reduction in the bond amount does not reduce the total $454m fine Trump will ultimately be expected to pay if an appeals court upholds the judgment. Rather, a bond works as assurance that Trump will pay the fine’s full amount if his appeal is unsuccessful. It is unclear how long the appellate court will take to issue a ruling, though it could take at least a few months.

Last week Trump’s lawyers said it was a “practical impossibility” for him to secure a bond for half a billion dollars, covering the full fine from his fraud loss.

“A bond of this size is rarely if ever seen. In the unusual circumstance that a bond of this size is issued, it is provided to the largest public companies in the world, not to individuals or privately held businesses,” his lawyers argued.

People familiar with Trump’s finances told the New York Times the former president should be able to secure a bond to cover the smaller amount

Along with the fine, Trump also faces a ban from running any company based in New York and obtaining loans from any banks in the state for the next three years.

A court-appointed monitor, who has been overseeing the Trump Organization’s financial reporting over the last few years, will also continue oversight of the company for another three years as part of the judgment.

If the appellate court had upheld the full fine’s amount for the bond, the attorney general’s office would have likely begun the slow process of seizing Trump’s assets without a full bond.

On Friday James’ office filed judgments in Westchester county, north of New York City, home to Trump’s sprawling Seven Springs estate and golf course. Another judgment had already been entered in New York City, home to some of Trump’s most famous assets, including Trump Tower and 40 Wall Street.

NY Attorney General Letitia James

In a statement, the attorney general’s office emphasized that “the $464m judgment – plus interest – against Donald Trump and the other defendants still stands”.

“Donald Trump is still facing accountability for his staggering fraud,” the statement read. “The court has already found that he engaged in years of fraud to falsley inflate his net worth and unjustly enrich himself, his family and his organization.”

MORE;
TRUMP Has Been Getting 'Special Treatment' From Courts — And It Needs to Stop: Prosecutor

Tristan Snell, the former assistant attorney general for the state of New York who prosecuted the Trump University fraud case, told CNN on Monday that former President Donald Trump has been getting "special treatment" that is given to no other criminal defendants.

Snell made the case that the courts have gone far easier on Trump than they have on defendants who have also been found liable for decades' worth of business fraud.

"He is getting special treatment and that is the thing that really needs to stop here," Snell argued. "If he were not who he is, if he were not claiming to be this special person who is somehow above the law, then this process would have actually played out years ago and it would have resulted in his assets and property being seized."

These Miscarriages of Justice Have to STOP

Ladybbird · 02-04-24, 10:48

Appeals Court Botched This Badly: TRUMP Posts $175MIL Bond in in TRUMPs' Organization Civil FRAUD Case And Averts Asset Seizures

TRUMP was found liable in February for fraudulently inflating his net worth to secure better loan and insurance terms

The Guardian 2 APR 2024

Donald Trump posted a $175MIL bond in his New York civil fraud case on Monday, averting asset seizures by state authorities that could have hobbled the former US presidents’ business empire.

Trump, to face Joe Biden in the November US election, was found liable on 16 February for fraudulently inflating his net worth by billions of dollars to secure better loan and insurance terms.

Trump originally needed to post a bond for $454MIL, but an appeals court on 25 March stayed enforcement of Justice Arthur Engoron’s judgment on condition that Trump pay the smaller sum within 10 days.

A three-judge panel of the appeals court will hear Trumps’ appeal on the merits. The appeals court ruling reducing the bond is no indication of how the panel will ultimately rule.

The bond prevents New York attorney general Letitia James from going after Trumps’ properties, including Trump Tower, his 370-acre resort and golf course in Westchester and his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Trump has denied wrongdoing and said the case is a political witch hunt by James, a Democrat who sued him in 2022.

In a 92-page order, Engoron described how Trump directed deputies to change the values of his properties to arrive at his desired net worth for a decade before his entry into politics.

The case is part of a maelstrom of legal troubles Trump faces, including a criminal trial in New York set to begin on 15 April. Trump, who has pleaded not guilty, is accused in that case of illegally covering up hush money payments to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election.

He has also been charged in two cases with trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden and in another over his handling of classified documents upon leaving office. Those have been mired in delays and may not go to trial before the November election.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in all of them.

MORE: U.S. foes exploit Trumps' divisiveness with fake MAGA accounts; China adopts Russian tactics

Ladybbird · 02-04-24, 21:02

'Whacked Out Nut Job': TRUMP Launches NEW Attack On ANOTHER Judge Hours After Hush Money GAG Order Extended

Hours after a judge ordered Donald Trump to stop attacking the family members of prosecutors, jurors and witnesses in his hush money trial, the ex-president unleashed a no-holds-barred attack on a favourite target - - Judge Arthur Engoron

MSRAW 2 APR 2024

“He is a whacked out nut job,” Trump wrote on Truth Social about Judge Engoron, who oversaw the fraud trial that he’s appealing in New York.

Engoron is not covered by the gag order that was expanded Monday night which involves a separate trial, the criminal hush money prosecution that’s set to start on April 15.

The judge is also not covered by a separate gag order that Engoron himself put in place that involves court staff in the fraud trial, but does not protect the judge or prosecutor, New York Attorney General Letitia James.

But the fact that he continued ranting against the judge just hours after being ordered to rein in his attacks lends credence to experts’ opinions that he can’t help himself.

“Thank you to professor Jonathan Turley for exposing the horrendous decision made by a corrupt New York State Judge, Arthur Engoron, on the 'I will get Trump' worst in the Nation A.G., Letitia James, unfair case against me,” he wrote, referring to the George Washington University law professor and Fox News contributor who has supported Trump’s claims that trials against him are a political witch hunt.

“I just posted a $175,000,000 Bond just for the right to Appeal this travesty of a case, which I won at the Appellate Division, but this Judge refuses to accept- A FIRST.”

Trump was found liable for fraud after he exaggerated the value of his properties to secure favorable terms for loans and insurance. He was hit with $355 million in damages.

The appeals court lowered the amount he had to pay as bond to $175 million, which he posted on Monday. The court did not rule that he had “won.”

“He is a whacked out nut job who just made up a number out of thin air,” Trump wrote of Engoron, “just like he did on the value of Mar-a-Lago. Businesses won’t enter New York because of this decision, and many are fleeing.

Think of it -I ?? had to pay an enormous sum for the right to Appeal the ridiculous decision of a CROOKED Judge and A.G. This is Election Interference, and it all comes directly from Joe Biden and the White House. An attack, along with ALL OF THE OTHERS, on his political opponent, ME!”

REMEMBER, MR Donald Trump, as The SUPREME COURT Pointed Out --'Fraud is NOT Protected by The First Amendment'

Ladybbird · 07-04-24, 03:56

TRUMPs' Bond Firm Must Show Proof of Resources, New York AG Letitia James Says

Billionaire Who Floated Trumps' $175MIL Fraud Bond Says He Didn't Charge Enough

Why were TRUMPs' bond documents rejected – and has this impacted his civil fraud appeal?

MSNBBC 7 APR 2024

Donald Trump must prove within 10 days that the company providing his $175 million appeal bond in New York’s civil fraud case is financially capable of paying up if his legal challenges fail, the state told a judge.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who won a $454 million judgment against Trump over his asset valuations, made the demand Thursday in a notice with the court. The bond puts the fine on hold while the former president appeals the verdict, a process that could take months to resolve.

Trump arranged the bond on Monday through an obscure insurance company run by one of his billionaire supporters, Don Hankey. But James, a Democrat, said Hankey’s Los Angeles-based Knight Specialty Insurance Co. isn’t registered with New York’s Department of Financial Services, so either Trump or Knight needs to prove the firm can pay the fine if Trump’s appeal fails.

“It shouldn’t be a problem to satisfy the state’s request,” Hankey said in a phone call, adding that he hadn’t yet seen the court filing.

James wants Knight to demonstrate that the company is financially sound and that the bond is sufficiently backed by identifiable assets. Hankey, a GOP donor, previously said the former president used all cash as collateral after initially offering a mix of cash and investment-grade bonds.

Justice Arthur Engoron, who oversaw the non-jury trial, on Thursday scheduled an April 22 hearing on the bond dispute.

Trump is unlikely to attend because that date overlaps with his first criminal trial, which begins April 15 in Manhattan on charges he falsified business records to hide hush-money payments.

The state’s demand is the latest twist in Trump’s effort to arrange the bond, which he initially called “unattainable” because it was set at 120% of the judgment, or more than half a billion dollars. Trump claimed dozens of insurers refused his real estate as collateral and that he didn’t have enough cash. The appeals court slashed the bond without saying why, easing the strain on Trump’s finances.

That’s when Hankey, who made his fortune in subprime auto loans, stepped in and offered to help Trump out. Earlier this week, the billionaire said his decision to help Trump was purely a business arrangement and not about politics.

Trump attorney Alina Habba didn’t respond to a request for comment on the state’s demand. Trump has denied wrongdoing in the case and claims it’s part of a Democratic-led “witch hunt” against him.

James proved during an 11-week trial that Trump inflated the value of his assets by billions of dollars a year to get better terms on loans, reaping hundreds of millions of dollars in “illegal profit” that he was ordered to return. By posting bond, Trump avoided the prospect of James taking action to cover the fine by seizing the real estate mogul’s assets.

The niche appeal bond industry was thrust into the spotlight earlier this year after Trump lost two civil trials that led to combined damages of more than half a billion dollars. The court requirement for bonds larger than the actual judgment amount is intended to ensure a trial loser will pay the winner if their appeal fails.

TRUMP gets BAD news in New York trial

.....

Ladybbird · 12-04-24, 14:46

RED Flags Raised Over TRUMPs' Bond Money After Link to Grand Caymans Revealed

Bank with a checkered past and a deep history with Trump raises WARNINGS

MSRAW 12 APR 2024

“This just stinks to high heaven."

That is the opinion of one former insurance expert when shown documentation showing that the company that is backing Donald Trumps' $175 million appeal bond has backed their own bet with funds supposedly held in the secretive tax haven of the Grand Caymans.

According to a report from the Daily Beast's Jose Pagliery, the more questions are raised about the Knight Specialty Insurance Company and its ability to come up with the money should the former president lose his financial fraud appeal, the murkier things get, setting off "red flags" from industry and financial experts.

As the report notes, "Former industry regulators and investigators told The Daily Beast that Knight Specialty Insurance Company being financially backed by a firm based in the Cayman Islands should raise eyebrows at the New York AG’s office—particularly because companies frequently organize in the Cayman Islands not just to avoid taxes, but also to minimize visibility into its business practices, avoid more stringent U.S. regulations, and make liability harder should things go wrong."

At issue are worries that Trump loses his appeal and that New York Attorney General Letitia James runs into a wall trying to collect the fine by dealing with the Grand Cayman company that may give her the runaround and may not have the money on hand.

Dave Jones, who formerly oversaw California's insurance market, made the "stinks to high heaven" remark and followed up by saying, "Taken in its totality, this dog does not hunt. Along every step of the way, this purported bond is problematic. It’s just one issue after another that calls into question whether this bond could ever possibly satisfy the judgment.”

Former New York Department of Financial Services superintendent Maria Vullo agreed and claimed the information should set off alarms.

“The risk here is the company will not have the liquidity to pay on the bond when demanded, and the beneficiary of this bond, the New York AG, may not have a direct claim against the reinsurer,” Vullo explained. “That the reinsurer is in the Cayman Islands compounds this issue as it is a non-U.S. jurisdiction, which makes collection very difficult.”

Tom Gober, a forensic accountant who has worked with the FBI, suggested the Grand Cayman connection is a major concern.

“The Caymans are widely recognized as a ‘secrecy jurisdiction.’ If you called the regulator in the Caymans and asked, ‘Can you tell me if Knight reinsurance has enough to cover these claims?’ Their laws require total confidentiality. Why?" he told Pagliery before adding, "In my professional opinion, all you really have to know is that you don’t know. It’s not transparent and it ought to be. They have less regulation and zero transparency.

That’s all I need to know.”

“Why would you choose to send virtually all of your reinsurance to your own three companies in the Caymans? That’s like moving money from one pocket to another. The big question is: Do the Cayman affiliates have $323 million in liquid assets to honor these claims to Knight Specialty? If not, you’ve got problems,” he added.

Ladybbird · 18-04-24, 13:03

NEW CRIMINAL Tax Evasion Complaint Filed in TRUMP Organization Civil FRAUD Case by FED Judge

Retired FED Judge Barbara Jones Was Assigned to 'Monitor' TRUMP and The TRUMP Organizations' Finances by Judge Arthur Engoron During The Financial Fraud Trial

A mysterious $50MIL loan that has been listed by the former president in his disclosures to the court that may or may not exist.

MSRAW 18 APR 2024

As Donald Trump heads back to a Manhattan courtroom where he is facing 34 felony counts related to allegedly paying off an adult film star before the 2016 presidential election, a new possible criminal investigation into income tax evasion is rearing its head.

At the center of the criminal complaint filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) by watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a mysterious $50 million loan that has been listed by the former president in his disclosures to the court that may or may not exist.

In late January, the Daily Beast reported on a "bombshell" report from retired judge Barbara Jones who was assigned to monitor Trump and the Trump Organization's finances by Judge Arthur Engoron during the financial fraud trial that ended with a $355 million fine.

At that time, Jones wrote she was baffled by information being handed over to her, telling the court, "in recent discussions with the Trump Organization, it indicated that it has determined that this loan never existed—and thus that it would be removed from any upcoming forms submitted to the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) and would also be removed from subsequent versions of [corporate financial statements].”

Questions about the loan have never been answered, which now has led CREW to ask the DOJ to have the FBI step in.

According to the latest reporting from the Daily Beast's Roger Sollenberger, CREW's filing asks for an investigation into whether Trump had repeatedly lied “knowingly and willfully” nine times in his own filings to the government.

As Rollenberger explained, "While CREW’s complaint doesn’t directly allege tax evasion, it does say that Trump’s alleged lies about this loan could constitute a 'material false statement' that, among other things, would prevent officials from assessing whether Trump was 'in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.'"

In a statement, CREW's Noah Bookbinder elaborated, "The FBI and the Department of Justice should investigate and, if the facts support it, act to ensure accountability for this lawlessness. Donald Trump’s habit of lying and placing himself above the law has no place in a republic governed by the rule of law."

The Beast report adds, "Additionally, the complaint notes, Trump’s own statements about the debt 'seemed to discount the loan’s legitimacy,' citing his 2016 claims to The New York Times that 'we don’t assess any value to [the loan] because we don’t care.'"

28-07-23, 01:58	#51
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Given Corp Death Penalty as Judge Rules TRUMP/Sons LIED & Committed Fraud TRUMP Faces Further Charges in Mar-a-Lago Documents Inquiry- TRUMP Accused of Ordering an Employee to Delete SERVER TRUMP Accused of Pressuring an Employee to Delete Mar-a-Lago Security Camera Footage, New Charges Allege. TRUMP Aide Faces Additional Charges in Classified Documents Case as 3rd Defendant is Added BBC 28 JULY 2023 In a revised indictment, Mr Trump is charged with three new counts, one of wilful retention of defence information and two of obstruction. An additional person, Mar-a-Lago staff member Carlos de Oliveira, has also been indicted in the case. Mr de Oliveira is alleged to have asked what could be done to delete footage. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty alongside his close aide Walt Nauta, who also received two additional charges of obstruction on Thursday. The new court documents outline alleged efforts between Mr Nauta and Mr de Oliviera, the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, to obstruct the justice department's investigation. According to the new court documents, Mr Nauta and Mr de Oliveira conspired to delete footage from security cameras after the Department of Justice issued a subpoena asking for surveillance footage of the basement where it said confidential documents were held. In the court documents, Mr de Oliveira is claimed to have texted another employee who was the director of information technology that "the boss" wanted the server deleted. The documents allege that Mr de Oliveira later met with the employee in a small IT room, told him them their conversation should remain private, then pressured the man into obliging his request after the employee told Mr de Oliveira that he did not have the authority. The indictment sets out a scene where it is claimed Mr Nauta and Mr de Oliveira walked through bushes and foliage at the edge of Mar-a-Lago, a leisure resort that had been known as the Winter White House, to get to the IT room. "What are we going to do," Mr de Oliveira allegedly asked his co-worker. A lawyer for Mr de Oliveira has declined to comment. The updated indictment alleges that Mr Trump knowingly discussed a top-secret document with biographers visiting Mar-a-Lago to interview him. The indictment says the document Mr Trump revealed to the biographers contained possible plans to attack "Country A", which CNN and other outlets identified as Iran. "Look what I found... Isn't it amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look," Mr Trump allegedly said to one of his guests. The documents case is led by special prosecutor Jack Smith, who earlier in the day met with Mr Trump's lawyers over a separate investigation into alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Mr Trump's attorneys John Lauro and Todd Blanche met officials at Mr Smith's office in Washington DC, US media reported. The former president said earlier this month that he expected to be indicted in that case, but said on Thursday his lawyers received no indication of timing. Mr Trump dismissed the fresh charges in the documents case in an emailed statement from his 2024 presidential campaign. "Deranged Jack Smith knows that they have no case and is casting about for any way to salvage their illegal witch hunt," the statement read. The latest charge against Trump adds to a growing list of legal problems for the property and reality TV mogul. He currently awaits trial for a hush-money case in which he faces 34 felony counts, he faces civil charges in a defamation case against author E Jean Carroll, and Georgia prosecutors are still weighing whether or not to press charges over an alleged effort overturn the election results there. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

01-08-23, 05:17	#52
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: TRUMP: Georgia DA to Charge on FALSE Election Results /Mar-a-Lago Manager in Cour 'We're Ready to Go': Fulton County DA Says Work is Done in TRUMP Probe TRUMPs' Mar-a-Lago Property Manager in Court to Face Obstruction of Justice Charges BBC 1 AUG 2023 Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said her team has wrapped up their work on the investigation into former President Trump’s efforts to reverse the 2020 election results in Georgia, and she reaffirmed her commitment to announce charging decisions by Sept. 1. “The work is accomplished,” Willis told local news station 11Alive on Saturday. “We’ve been working for 2 1/2 years. We’re ready to go.” “Some people may not be happy with the decisions that I’m making, and sometimes, when people are unhappy, they act in a way that could create harm,” Willis added. Ahead of the anticipated charging announcement, local law enforcement officials have been working to increase security in the area, an effort Willis praised in the interview. Willis spoke to local reporters at a back-to-school event where she distributed free school supplies. “I think that the sheriff is doing something smart in making sure that the courthouse stays safe,” Willis said, noting that she wrote a letter to the sheriff about security efforts. “I’m not willing to put any of the employees or the constituents that come to the courthouse in harm’s way,” Willis added. The probe has been going on for more than two years. Among other things, the case has involved the phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) in January 2021, in which Trump requested Raffensperger “find” the necessary votes in his state to reverse President Biden’s victory. Trump has sought to block the investigation from proceeding. On Monday, a Georgia judge rejected one of the former president’s attempts to dismiss the probe. “The movants’ asserted ‘injuries’ that would open the doors of the courthouse to their claims are either insufﬁcient or else speculative and unrealized,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in the nine-page ruling. Mar-a-Lago Property Manager in Court to Face Obstruction of Justice Charges Mar-a-Lago Property Manager Makes First Court Appearance in Classified Documents Case Carlos De Oliveira, the Mar-a-Lago property manager and newest co-defendant in the special counsel’s criminal case charging former President Donald Trump and his staff with mishandling classified information, made his initial appearance in a Miami courtroom on Monday. De Oliveira was indicted by a grand jury Thursday on four charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements to the FBI. On Monday, he was informed of his rights as a criminal defendant but did not enter a formal plea during the roughly 10-minute hearing. He was released on a $100,000 bond pending trial, and he will be arraigned on August 10 in Ft. Pierce, Florida. Trump and his aide Walt Nauta, the third co-defendant in the case, pleaded not guilty after initially being indicted in June. Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres also ordered De Oliveira not to discuss the case with potential witnesses except through counsel, and prosecutors provided the defendant with a list of names. Trump and Nauta also were given a similar condition for their release. In addition, Torres said De Oliveira cannot travel outside south Florida without permission. De Oliveira did not have a lawyer listed who is able to practice in Florida, where the case will be tried. Nauta faced a similar problem when he was first charged, and though he was able to proceed with his initial appearance alongside Trump in June, Nauta was forced to delay his arraignment until he had a Florida lawyer. De Oliveira left the courthouse surrounded by reporters after his hearing concluded. He was escorted by federal agents and his attorney, John Irving. De Oliveira declined to answer questions as he walked to the second building, including whether he had spoken to Trump since his arrest, whether he testified to a grand jury as part of the special counsel’s investigation and whether he had identified a Florida lawyer to hire. *“The Justice Department has unfortunately decided to bring these charges,” Irving said, “and now it’s time for them to put their money where their mouth is.”* __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

18-09-23, 09:29	#53
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Given Corp Death Penalty as Judge Rules TRUMP/Sons LIED & Committed Fraud TRUMP New York Fraud Case Could be Delayed After Ex-President Sues Judge Court Orders TRUMP Fraud Trial be Temporarily Halted After He Sues The Judge New York Judge Had Declined Trumps' Request to Delay $250M Civil Fraud Trial TRUMP Tries to Employ Legal Sleight of Hand to Wriggle Out of Fraud Lawsuit BBC 18 SEP 2023 Civil case brought by Letitia James alleges widespread fraud connected to Trump Organization and trial scheduled for October Donald Trumps' attorneys are attempting a legal gambit to help him wriggle out of the fraud lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, but experts are dubious that it will work, according to a report. His attorneys have argued that Trumps' business deals deemed as fraudulent by James took place so long ago they've fallen outside the statute of limitations, and an appellate court directed state Supreme Court Justice Arthur F. Engoron and the attorney general to determine exactly when those transactions took place “These issues are highly technical, and they are highly dependent sometimes on idiosyncratic features of particular statutes,” said Justin Murray, a professor at New York Law School. A fraud lawsuit against Donald Trump and his family business has been temporarily halted by a judge from a New York state appeals court. The judge’s directive for the upcoming 2 October trial in the fraud lawsuit filed by New York attorney general Letitia James was issued during a surprise virtual hearing closed to the public. The order was issued in response to the former US president’s lawsuit against Justice Arthur Engoron, the trial judge responsible for the case. In his lawsuit, Mr Trump accused Mr Engoron and Ms James of disregarding a court order that could limit the scope of the lawsuit A court spokesperson said Justice David Friedman from the appeals court granted a temporary suspension of the trial and referred the issue to a five-judge panel that is expected to rule during the last week of September. “We are confident in our case and will be ready for trial,” said Ms James in a statement in response. The trial could still begin on 2 October as it remains contingent upon the decision of the appeals court, commonly referred to as the First Department. In an emergency court filing on Thursday morning, lawyers representing the former president and his associates emphasised the need for New York’s higher courts to intervene urgently. They are seeking the involvement of an appellate judge to initiate an “Article 78 proceeding”, which aims to compel Mr Engoron to significantly weaken the case brought forward by the attorney general. Ms James has said there is a “mountain of evidence” indicating Mr Trump and his associates lied over a decade regarding his assets and net worth. These alleged misrepresentations, she said, may have led to an inflation of up to $3.6bn to secure more favourable loan and insurance terms. Ms James is pursuing a $250m fine and seeking to prohibit Mr Trump and his sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, from assuming leadership positions within the Trump Organization, the family business. The lawsuit was initiated by the attorney general in September last year after a three-year investigation. “I am determined to start the case on time,” Mr Engoron had said earlier this year. *“Come hell or high water.”* __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

27-09-23, 02:01	#54
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Fraud Trial DAY 1-TRUMP Attacked Judge & Prosecutor in What Could End His Empire Fraudster TRUMP Given The Corporate Death Penalty in New York Suit: Lawyer George Conway Says TRUMP Organization is Out of Business New York Judge Rules TRUMP Committed Fraud and Lied About His Net Worth For Years..Judge Rules He Committed Fraud for YEARS in New York by Inflating Property Prices BBC 27 SEP 2023 A New York judge ruled former President Donald Trump and his companies engaged in fraud, in yet another legal setback for the former president as AG Letitia James’ $250 million civil lawsuit advances. The judge, Arthur Engoron, also denied Trump's bid to dismiss the New York attorney general's $250 million lawsuit against him and his company. A New York judge has found Donald Trump and his adult sons liable for fraud, saying the Trumps provided false financial statements for roughly a decade. Wolf Blitzer talks with conservative lawyer George Conway and CNN anchor Laura Coates about the ruling A New York judge ruled in the state attorney general's $250 million lawsuit against Donald Trump and his company Tuesday that the former president committed repeated acts of fraud for years. According to the ruling, which allows the civil trial to begin next week, Trump lied to banks and insurers by both overvaluing and undervaluing his assets when it was to his benefit while exaggerating his net worth to the tune of billions of dollars. In his 35-page ruling, Judge Arthur Engoron said Trump continually lied on his financial statements and was able to get favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums as a result. Trump's legal arguments defending the statements are based in "a fantasy world, not the real world," Engoron wrote. He went on to say that the case was essentially a "documents case" and that "the documents here clearly contain fraudulent valuations that defendants used in business, satisfying [the attorney general's] burden to establish liability as a matter of law against defendants. Defendants’ respond that: the documents do not say what they say; that there is no such thing as 'objective' value; and that, essentially, the Court should not believe its own eyes." "The defenses Donald Trump attempts to articulate in his sworn deposition are wholly without basis in law or fact," Engoron added. At one point, Engoron pointed to Trump's having exaggerated the size of his New York apartment to pump up its value, repeatedly claiming it was over 30,000 feet when it was a third of that size. “A discrepancy of this order of magnitude, by a real estate developer sizing up his own living space of decades, can only be considered fraud,” Engoron wrote. He found Trump, his sons Don Jr. and Eric and their companies liable for fraud. He also denied Trump's motion for summary judgment that argued New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit should be dismissed. Engoron sanctioned Trump's attorneys $7,500 apiece for making legal arguments that had already been rejected twice. The ruling would dissolve numerous limited liability companies, or LLCs, associated with Trump, including the Trump Organization LLC, an entity that’s been been used to expand the Trump brand through use of his name. Each side was given 10 days to recommend three potential receivers to manage the dissolution of the LLCs identified in the court filing. While the New York-based LLCs will need to be dissolved, it will be up to the receiver to determine what that looks like. Former judge Barbara Jones will continue in her role as a court appointed monitor of financial activity at Trump Organization Inc., which is separate from the similarly named LLC. Engoron further ordered that the outstanding issues in the case will get resolved at trial. The trial is scheduled to start Monday. Because it is a bench trial, the case will be decided solely by the judge, with no jury. In a statement Tuesday on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump blasted the state attorney general and the judge and said, "My Civil Rights have been violated, and some Appellate Court, whether Federal or State, must reverse this horrible, un-American decision." Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the lawsuit is part of a partisan “witch hunt.” In a social media post Monday, he called Engoron a “Trump Hater beyond even A.G. James.” Trump's lead attorney in the case, Christopher Kise, called the ruling "outrageous" and said it was "completely disconnected from the facts and governing law." He said in a statement that Engoron had "disregarded the viewpoint of those actually involved in the loan transactions who testified there was nothing misleading, there was no fraud, and the transactions were all highly profitable." "While the full impact of the decision remains unclear, what is clear is that President Trump and his family will seek all available appellate remedies to rectify this miscarriage of justice,” Kise said. Another Trump attorney, Alina Habba, focused on Engoron's determination that Trump's Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, had been grossly overvalued. Engoron noted that from 2011 to 2021, the Palm Beach County assessor appraised the market value of Mar-a-Lago at $18 million to $27.6 million. Trump's financial statements, meanwhile, put the club's value at almost $427 million to $612 million. She said the judge's findings, including the one "that Mar-a-Lago is worth approximately $20 million," is "an affront to our legal system." In a tweet, Eric Trump said after the ruling that he had "lost all faith in the New York legal system." "We have run an exceptional company — never missing a loan payment, making banks hundreds of millions of dollars, developing some of the most iconic assets in the world. Yet today, the persecution of our family continues," he said. James' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Engoron's ruling. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

30-09-23, 04:12	#55
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Fraud Trial DAY 1-TRUMP Attacked Judge & Prosecutor in What Could End His Empire Man Charged With Leaking Donald Trump Tax Returns Leaked TRUMP Tax Return Showed HUGE $916m FALSE Loss BBC 30 SEP 2023 A man in the US has been charged with leaking the tax returns of a "high-ranking government official" who is understood to be Donald Trump. Prosecutors said Charles Littlejohn, a contractor for the IRS - the US-wide tax body - stole the information and passed it on to a news organisation. *He is also accused of stealing tax return information of "thousands" of the US's "wealthiest individuals".* The Department of Justice alleges this data was given to another outlet. Court documents say the two news organisations published "numerous articles" based on this information. Neither have been charged with any wrongdoing. Although the court documents do not name the government official, a source has confirmed to the BBC's partner in the US, CBS News, that it is former president Donald Trump. The same person also said that the news organisation which received information about Mr Trump's tax returns was The New York Times, while the second, which received information about other individuals was the ProPublica website. The New York Times declined to comment to CBS News about the claims, while ProPublica said in a statement to the outlet: "We have no comment on today's announcement from the DoJ. As we've said previously, ProPublica doesn't know the identity of the source who provided this trove of information on the taxes paid by the wealthiest Americans." There has been no public comment from Mr Trump. Court documents claim that between 2017 and 2021, Mr Littlejohn worked for an unnamed consultancy which in turn worked on contracts from the US Department of the Treasury's IRS, dealing with tax administration. The papers go on to allege that between 2018 and 2020, while Mr Littlejohn was working on an IRS contract "he stole tax returns and return information", some of which dated back more than 15 years. The charge against Mr Littlejohn is the unauthorised disclosure of tax returns and return information. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. There has been no public comment from the Washington DC resident. A 2020 article in The New York Times, which is thought to have been based on the leaked information, claimed that Mr Trump paid just $750 (£580) in federal income tax both in 2016, the year he ran for the US presidency, and in his first year in the White House. The newspaper also said that he paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years and that the records reveal "chronic losses and years of tax avoidance". RELATED: TRUMP Fraud Ruling That Cancels His Business Licenses is a Devastating Blow For Ex-President The Glitzy New York Buildings That TRUMP Could Lose BBC 30 SEP 2023 Long before Donald Trump stepped into the White House, his glitzy and glamorous real estate empire helped make him a nationally recognised star. Now, a judge's ruling that his business committed massive fraud has thrown the fate of some of the former president's flagship properties into doubt. On Tuesday, Judge Arthur Engoron ordered that some of Mr Trump's companies be removed from his control. Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing and is expected to appeal. The ruling was part of a lawsuit filed against Mr Trump and his family by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who asked the judge for a summary decision that certain facts in the case were beyond dispute in the hope of speeding up the impending trial. It severely limits Mr Trump's ability to do business in New York, the place where he launched the real estate empire that thrust him into the national spotlight. What the ruling means for Mr Trump's properties, however, remains uncertain. The Trump Organization could be forced to hand over control to a court-appointed receiver, or ultimately have to sell some of its most iconic landmarks. Mr Trump's lawyers have asked for more clarity on which properties could be affected. The judge has yet to give a definitive answer. For Mr Trump, the stakes are potentially high. Earlier this year, Forbes estimated that his New York properties alone are worth $720m (£589m), a sizable chunk of his estimated $2.5bn fortune. Let's take a look at some of the properties that Mr Trump might lose. Trump Tower Located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the 58-floor Trump Tower is among the most recognisable properties bearing Mr Trump's name. The building is the headquarters of the embattled Trump Organization and has been home to Mr Trump and several of his family members. The building - which was developed by Mr Trump and inaugurated in 1983 - has also featured prominently in popular culture, including serving as the location for Batman's Wayne Enterprises in Christopher Nolan's 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises. Mr Trump's penthouse condominium that spans the top three floors of the building is also among the properties highlighted in James' lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that Mr Trump artificially inflated the triplex's value, by repeatedly saying it was more than 30,000 sq ft (2,790 sq m) in size, significantly larger than the 11,000 sq ft listed in property records. The penthouse was valued at$327m in 2015, a price that the lawsuit called "absurd". "Tripling the size of the apartment for purposes of the valuation was intentional and deliberate fraud," the lawsuit reads. "Not an honest mistake". 40 Wall Street Originally completed in 1930, the 72-story neo-Gothic tower in the heart of New York's financial district was purchased by a Trump-controlled company in 1995. The building's website proudly boasts that the purchase was "one of the great real estate deals of all time". Since the purchase, the building's tenants have included global giants such as American Express, defunct investment bank Bear Stearns and Hilton Hotels & Resorts. In the New York lawsuit, prosecutors alleged that the values given by Mr Trump and the Trump Organization "far exceeded the values determined by professionals" in lender-ordered appraisals. In 2012, for example, the property was valued by the company at $572m in financial statements - more than twice the value reached by the outside appraisals. By early this year, the building had been added to a lender watchlist because of concerns over rising expenses and vacancies, according to Bloomberg. Seven Springs Estate Vaunted as "one of the most prestigious private estates" by the Trump Organization, the verdant 212-acre estate stretches across the towns of Bedford, Armonk and Chappaqua in New York's Westchester Country. It was built in 1919 by former Washington Post publisher Eugene Meyer and bought by the Trump Organization in 1996. A large Georgian-style mansion surrounded by nature preserves, the property is atypical of Mr Trump's holdings, which tend to sparkle and shine with gold-plated décor. As is the case with the other properties in the lawsuit, the Trumps are accused of overvaluing the estate. Mr Trump's son Eric is also accused of pushing for developments there that were not approved and "not feasible", as well as hiding the estate's true value and fraudulently increasing the value of tax deductions stemming from it. Mar-a-Lago It is unclear whether Judge Engoron's ruling would apply to Trumps' Mar-a-Lago estate The extent of Judge Engoron's recent ruling is still unclear, but could potentially extend far beyond New York's borders to properties that controlled by New York based limited liability companies, or LLCs. This could reportedly include Mr Trump's famous 17-acre Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, where he currently resides. In his ruling, Mr Engoron determined that Mr Trump inflated the value of Mar-a-Lago by as much as 2,300%. The ruling cited an appraisal from the Palm Beach County Assessor's office, which placed the property's value at between $18m and $27.6m. The valuation sparked an angry response from Mr Trump, who called Mr Engoron "unhinged" and a "political hack judge". On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Eric Trump speculated that Mar-a-Lago is worth a billion dollars, "making it arguably the most valuable residential property in the country". His brother Donald Trump Jr mocked the assessment writing: "If Mar-a-Lago is worth $18 million... I'll take 10 please!!" MORE; *Are Mar-a-Lago and other Trump properties over-valued?* *Trumps accused of inflating value of Scots resorts* __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

02-10-23, 15:03	#56
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Fraud Trial DAY 1-TRUMP Attacked Judge & Prosecutor in What Could End His Empire TRUMP Appears at Fraud Trial in New York - 'It's a Sham' Says TRUMP New York Attorney General Letitia James 'No One is Above The Law' NY Attorney Seeks Damages, After TRUMP Found Liable For Fraud BBC 2 OCT 2023 Former President Donald Trump has arrived at court to attend the opening of his New York civil trial Trump committed fraud by repeatedly misrepresenting his wealth by hundreds of millions of dollars, a New York judge ruled last week TRUMP is seated across from NY Judge Arthur Engoron he called 'deranged' The NY attorney general is seeking a fine of $250m (£204m) and a ban on him doing business in his home state Trump has called the lawsuit a politically motivated "witch hunt" The Trump Organization could be forced to relinquish control of its properties or sell some of its landmarks Trump, who built his political career on his fame as a billionaire real estate ace and master of "The Art of the Deal," appeared voluntarily for a trial that has high stakes for him. New York Attorney General Letitia James' suit accuses Trump and his company of deceiving banks, insurers and others by habitually lying about his wealth in financial statements. Judge Arthur Engoron already has ruled that Trump committed fraud in his business dealings. It is a non-jury trial, so Engoron will decide on six other claims in the lawsuit. James, a Democrat, is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York. The judge's ruling last week, if upheld on appeal, could force Trump to give up New York properties including Trump Tower, a Wall Street office building, golf courses and a suburban estate. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

03-10-23, 03:26	#57
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: N.York. Appeals Court Rejects TRUMPS’ Plea to Stop Trial & Halts Businesses Break Up Defiant at $250m New York Fraud Trial to Blast 'Scam' Attacked Judge and Prosecutor in Day of Courtroom Drama as He Attended Opening of Fraud Trial That Could Threaten His Business Empire. BBC 3 OCT 2023 Trump with legal team in court On entering the room on Monday dressed in a blue suit, Mr Trump - who turned up voluntarily - looked ahead as he walked past the prosecutor who brought the case. States' attorney general Letitia James, sitting in the front row, averted her gaze. Their paths did not cross for the rest of opening statements as both sides laid out their case. Mr Trump, the Trump Organization, several executives and two of his children - Donald Jr and Eric - are the defendants in the civil trial in New York Superior Court. They are accused of fraud, falsification of business records, issuing false financial statements and conspiracy. As the trial got under way, the former president occasionally glanced in the direction of Judge Arthur Engoron as he addressed the court. Moments beforehand, in a tirade outside court that echoed across the chamber, Mr Trump had called the judge a "rogue adjudicator". Ms James was not spared either in his remarks to reporters at the top of the courtroom steps. "It's a scam, it's a sham. Just so you know, my financial statements are phenomenal," Mr Trump added. "There was no crime - the crime was against me." Given the former president's personal attacks, observers expected a tense atmosphere in the cramped confines of the court. But the three key figures in the legal drama had minimal direct interactions. While prosecutors set out their case, Mr Trump for the most part sat still, occasionally whispering to his legal team. Ms James kept her eyes on the lawyer unveiling a visual presentation that accompanied her team's opening statements. Proceedings began with her team accusing Mr Trump and his co-defendants of intentionally and persistently committing fraud, which reaped Mr Trump over $100m (£82.7m). Last week Judge Engoron ruled against Mr Trump in a central claim of the lawsuit, finding that he had overvalued his properties by hundreds of millions of dollars in order to get favourable bank loans. Mr Trump's lawyers took the stand shortly afterwards, attacking the New York attorney general's arguments. Alina Habba said Ms James' goal as attorney general was to "go to work, get Trump and go home". She claimed that Mr Trump did not inflate the value of his assets - including his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Real estate was malleable, she said, and his properties were "Mona Lisas" - Mar-a-Lago would sell for at least a billion dollars, she argued. But before lunch, proceedings turned increasingly fractious. Mr Trump's attorney, Chris Kise, argued with Judge Engoron about issues including whether expert opinion counted as testimony. And Ms Habba's attacks on Ms James drew Judge Engoron's ire. The judge said he had already dismissed claims that the suit was politically motivated. The afternoon in court proved calmer, with former Trump accountant Donald Bender testifying as the first witness called by the attorney general's office. Mr Bender said he had worked on Trump's tax returns and completed accounting work for Mr Trump's corporate entities. He testified in a criminal trial against the Trump Organization in Manhattan last year, claiming the company sought to evade taxes on bonuses and other luxury benefits. Trump: 'It's a scam, it's a sham' His two-hour testimony on Monday - largely focused on technical questions about his work for the Trump Organization - capped off the first day of the three-month long trial. The case will be decided by Judge Engoron, not a jury. *None of the defendants will face jail time if convicted, because this is a civil case not a criminal one.* Ms James is seeking $250m (£207m) and sanctions that could prevent the Trumps from doing business in the state of New York. There is even the possibility that Mr Trump could lose some of the properties that have become a signature part of his brand. *The stakes could not be higher.* Trump walks out of the New York courtroom during a break in the first day of the trial on whether he committed fraud. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

04-10-23, 07:20	#58
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: N.York. Appeals Court Rejects TRUMPS’ Plea to Stop Trial & Halts Businesses Break Up Judge Fires Back at TRUMP Attorneys to NOT Contest His Rulings Judge Also Issues Gag Order and Rebukes TRUMP After Social Media Post Attacking His Clerk BBC 4 OCT 2023 Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the New York attorney generals’ civil case against Donald Trump, said that the trial itself is not the venue for TRUMPS attorneys to contest what he’s already ruled on. Judge Arthur Engoron rebuked Donald Trump after the former president attacked his clerk in a social media post on Tuesday and forbade the parties from making any future comments about his staff. “This morning one of the defendants posted on (a) social media account a disparaging untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff. Although I have since ordered the post deleted and apparently it was, it was also emailed out to millions of other recipients,” the judge said in court. “Personal attacks of any member of my court staff are unacceptable, inappropriate and I will not tolerate them,” the judge said. TRUMP looked straight ahead at the judge as he issued the order. The judge then said all parties must not speak publicly about any members of the court staff. “Consider this statement an order forbidding all parties from posting, emailing or speaking publicly about any members of my staff,” Engoron said. “Failure to abide by this … will result in serious sanctions.” __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

05-10-23, 15:40	#59
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: N.York. Appeals Court Rejects TRUMPS’ Plea to Stop Trial & Halts Businesses Break Up TRUMP and His Business Stand Trial in New York in Third Day of Major Civil Fraud Case TRUMP in Court For 3rd Day as Accountant Takes Stand in NY Fraud Trial - TRUMP Lawyers Go After Accountant, Appeal Major Pretrial Ruling in New York Fraud Case BBC 5 OCT 2023 Judge Arthur Engoron already has ruled that the former president commiitted fraud NEW YORK - The fraud trial that could block former President Donald Trump from doing business in New York drilled down Wednesday into the question of who — his company or hired accountants — bore responsibility for financial statements that the state calls fraudulent. With accountants on the witness stand and Trump at the defense table for a third day, his attorneys tried to pin blame on accounting firms for any problems with the statements. But lawyers for New York Attorney General Letitia James sought to show that the accountants relied entirely on information supplied by Trump and his company. Outside the courtroom, meanwhile, Trump's lawyers appealed a key pretrial ruling: that he engaged in fraud by puffing up the values of prized assets. The trial concerns six claims that remain in the lawsuit after that ruling. Former President Donald Trump addresses the press during a lunch break on the third day of his civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on October 4, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) Trump denies any wrongdoing. The trial comes as he leads the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and the stakes are high for him and the real estate empire that launched him into public life. The pretrial ruling that's now under appeal could cost him control of Trump Tower and some other properties. At the trial, James is seeking a $250 million penalty and a prohibition on Trump doing business in New York. At the heart of the case are the "statements of financial condition," yearly snapshots of Trump's wealth that were given to banks, insurers and others. James says the statements were wildly inflated. His Trump Tower penthouse was claimed as nearly three times its actual size, for example, and his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida was hugely overvalued at as much as $739 million, she says. Trump maintains that the statements actually underestimated the worth of luxury properties. He also emphasizes that the documents came with disclaimers that he characterizes as saying the numbers shouldn't be trusted and lenders should do their own homework. But accountant Donald Bender, who prepared the financial statements for years, testified Tuesday that the Trump Organization didn’t always supply all the information needed to accurately produce the documents. Another accountant, Camron Harris, testified Wednesday that his work on the 2021 statement involved checking information provided by Trump’s company for "obvious errors" and formatting it for presentation. "We do not verify the accuracy of any of the information provided," Harris said. His firm's work agreement with Trump's company specified that the accountants would "not express an opinion or any conclusion nor provide any assurance on the financial statements." RELATED: Judge rules Donald Trump defrauded banks, insurers as he built real estate empire Trump lawyer Jesus M. Suarez, in cross-examining Bender on Tuesday and Wednesday, sought to depict the accountant as sloppy. Suarez showed video Wednesday of pretrial testimony in which Bender said he didn’t recall whether he consulted with any specialists when preparing Trump’s financial statements. Yet, Suarez noted, Bender's firm told clients it might need specialists' help to evaluate works of art, jewelry, and some types of securities in closely held businesses and real estate. When Bender acknowledged on Tuesday that he missed a shift in information about the size of the Trump Tower penthouse, Suarez told the accountant that Trump’s company and employees were "going through hell" because "you missed it." Bender retorted that it was the Trump Organization's mistake, "and we didn’t catch it." As the cross-examination wore on Wednesday with painstaking queries about specific aspects of individual financial statements, Judge Arthur Engoron pounded his fist and said the defense was ignoring his instructions to streamline the questioning. "This is ridiculous," said the judge, who's hearing the case without a jury because state law doesn't allow for one in this type of lawsuit. Trump’s lawyers complained that the judge was compromising their ability to defend the former president. "I’ve never had to negotiate how to ask questions as a lawyer," defense attorney Christopher Kise said. Trump, with familiar rhetoric outside court on Wednesday, called James "incompetent," portrayed her as part of a broader Democratic effort to weaken his 2024 prospects, and termed the case "fake" and the trial "a disgrace." "Why attend? Because I want to point it out to the press, how corrupt it is," he said as he left court during its lunch break. He headed to Florida, next expected to return to the courtroom when he's called to testify, likely several weeks from now. James later described his comments as offensive, baseless and "devoid of any facts and/or any evidence." "The Donald Trump is show is over. This was nothing more than a political stunt. A fundraising stop. Now, we can continue to go forward with our trial, and we are confident that justice will be served," James told reporters outside court. Trump has frequently vented in the courthouse hallway and on social media about the trial, James and Engoron, also a Democrat. After Trump assailed Engoron's principal law clerk on social media Tuesday, the judge imposed a limited gag order, commanding all participants in the trial not to hurl personal attacks at members of his staff. The judge told Trump to delete the "disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post," and the former president took it down. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

06-10-23, 15:31	#60
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: N.York. Appeals Court Rejects TRUMPS’ Plea to Stop Trial & Halts Businesses Break Up TRUMPS' Civil Fraud Trial Continues in New York - TRUMP Tells BBC He Will Testify at Appropriate Time TRUMP and His Business Stand Trial in Fourth Consecutive Day of Civil Fraud Case BBC 6 OCT 2023 Donald Trump and his family business continue to stand trial in New York on Friday in a civil fraud case that could deal a major blow to the former U.S. presidents’ real estate empire. Five Things to Know About Trumps' New York Fraud Trial The vast business empire upon which Donald Trump made his name is on the line in a civil fraud trial that began on Monday in New York. The former president, his two adult sons and the wider Trump Organization are accused of massively inflating the value of their properties by over $2bn (£1.65bn), in order to secure favourable loans. On the trials' first day, Mr Trump made a surprise appearance at the courthouse where he lambasted the judge and the New York attorney general who brought the case. He has denied any wrongdoing, calling the case a sham. Here Are Five Things to Know About The Trial. 1. The stakes are really high A defeat would mark a significant blow to the real estate empire that propelled him to national recognition long before he ran for the White House. Those holdings constitute a significant chunk of his personal fortune and self-image. Earlier this year, Forbes Magazine estimated that his New York properties alone are worth $720m of his estimated $2.5bn. Mr Trump has repeatedly pointed to his achievements in the New York real estate market as a source of personal pride. In a 2015 interview with Bella NYC magazine, for example, Mr Trump touted the "many great buildings" that he has built and owns as his greatest accomplishment outside of his family. A victory for prosecutors would mean that Mr Trump and his company would have to pay a $250m fine and be banned from doing business in New York, prising Trump Tower and the rest of his holdings from his grasp. His presence in court suggests that he knows how high the stakes are. 2. It involves his children Two of Mr Trump's adult children - Donald Jr and Eric - are co-defendants in the case and on the list of witnesses. The two took over the management of the Trump Organization in 2017, the year their father became president. Like their father, both of Mr Trump's sons are accused of what Attorney General Letitia James has described as "persistent and repeated fraud" regarding their business. The lawsuit filed by Ms James cites multiple specific allegations against both Eric and Donald Jr, largely pertaining to allegedly fraudulent assessments of value of real estate properties. Eric Trump, along with his brother Donald Jr, are among the co-defendants in the case. Eric Trump, for example, is accused of pushing for unapproved and "not feasible" developments at the sprawling Seven Springs Estate in Westchester County, as well as hiding its true value and fraudulently increasing the value of tax deductions stemming from it. The lawsuit seeks to bar both men from serving as an officer or director in "any New York corporation or similar business entity" registered or licensed in the state. Mr Trump's defence team plans to call 128 witnesses, including the former president, his two sons and his daughter Ivanka. His former lawyer Michael Cohen will testify for the prosecution. 3. The central claim in case already settled Last week, the judge in the case, Arthur Engoron, ruled that Mr Trump misrepresented his wealth by millions of dollars. His Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida was over-valued by 2,300% in one financial statement and his Trump Tower triplex was presented as three times its actual size, the ruling said. The judge ordered that some of Mr Trump's companies be removed from his control. While the scope of this ruling is still unclear, it could mean that the Trump Organization could be forced to hand over control to a court-appointed receiver, or ultimately have to sell some of its most iconic landmarks. The upcoming trial will focus on six other claims made in the lawsuit, including falsification of business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy. On the opening day, lead attorney for the state, Kevin Wallace, said the defendants falsified records for personal gain. They knew the statements were false, he said, and "then used them to pursue and obtain financial benefits". 4. No jury, one judge and one attorney general The upcoming trial is a bench trial, meaning that the ultimate decision on whether the co-defendants are liable and any damages or penalties rest on Judge Engoron alone. While Mr Trump has pointed to a lack of jury as evidence that the trial is unfair, Mr Engoron said on Monday that his team never asked for a jury. Judge Engoron and Ms James - both Democrats - have already sparred with Mr Trump and his legal team. Mr Trump has repeatedly attacked New York District Attorney Letitia James In April 2022, for example, Judge Engoron held Mr Trump in contempt for refusing to turn over documents related to the case, and rejected attempts by Mr Trump's lawyers to delay the start of the trial. The former president has called them both "deranged" and in Ms James' case, a "racist" who is conducting a politically-motivated witch hunt. 5. This is one trial of several he faces This civil case is one of several ongoing legal battles the current Republican presidential frontrunner is facing. He is also facing three criminal indictments. Two relate to his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and another to false accounting over hush money. A fourth case sees Mr Trump facing 40 criminal charges over his alleged mishandling of classified material after he left the White House. Altogether, Trump is facing 91 felony charges, including 44 federal ones and 47 state charges. He denies all the charges. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

09-10-23, 02:35	#61
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: N.York. Appeals Court Rejects TRUMPS’ Plea to Stop Trial & Halts Businesses Break New York Appeals Court Halts Process of Breaking Up TRUMPS’ Businesses But Rejects Stopping The Trial A New York appeals court judge rejected Donald Trumps’ attempt to stop the ongoing $250 million civil fraud trial, but temporarily halted the process of breaking up the former presidents’ businesses BBC 8 OCT 2023 Associate Justice Peter Moulton issued the ruling after a brief hearing Friday afternoon. It leaves Trumps’ empire untouched for at least another month and perhaps offers the former president and his family a glimmer of hope. Trump sought to put Judge Arthur Engoron’s surprise summary judgment order last week that he is liable for fraud and must cancel business certificates for many of his business entities on hold pending further appeal. The dissolution of the entities would cause irreparable harm to the businesses and upwards of 1,000 employees, Trump attorney Christopher Kise argued in court. “We are very pleased the First Department upheld New York law and put a halt to any cancellation of business certificates, receivers or dissolution,” Kise said following Friday’s ruling. “The trial courts’ attempt to reach issues, entities and assets beyond the scope of this case has been suspended.” Engoron had ordered Trump to propose potential receivers by October 26, which would begin the process of dissolution. During the hearing, Moulton speculated that such a broad interpretation of Engoron’s ruling could mean LLCs holding the private homes of Trump and the other defendants could be at risk of being sold. “[Engoron] clearly does not comprehend the scope of the chaos its decision has wrought,” Trumps’ lawyers said in a court filing earlier in the day. “We’re not seeking delay. We’re not seeking anything but a fair trial and these errors permeate the ongoing trial,” Kise said in court, referring to “an avalanche of errors” in the summary judgment ruling. Trumps’ legal team believes the appellate court could eventually reverse at least part of Engorons’ bombshell order and gut New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case by dismissing a majority of the lawsuit’s claims that they believe are time barred by an earlier appellate ruling handed down in June. The New York attorney generals’ office opposed the request to delay the trial, saying Trump and the other defendants are attempting “to sow chaos by disrupting an ongoing trial that has now been going for a week. Yet defendants fail to point to any purported irreparable harm from proceeding with a trial that has already begun.” The attorney generals’ office also criticized Trumps’ team for waiting days into trial testimony to file the stay request. “And tellingly, they waited until after Mr. Trump decided to stop attending the trial,” the letter says. Trump attended the first three days of the trial and has returned to Florida. The response also says a delay would be disruptive to the court and its witnesses, creating a “cascade of delays in not only this case but also other litigation involving Mr. Trump.” “If the trial here is delayed at all, there is a significant risk that defendants will request further delays of trial based on the deadlines in these other cases. Indeed, defendants already appear to be attempting to play one court against the other,” the motion reads. With regard to Trumps’ request to pause Engoron’s summary judgment, the attorney general stressed it has “informed defendants of its willingness to discuss staying enforcement of portions of that relief pending trial and entry of final judgment, provided that the trial continues to move forward.” Trump and his co-defendants have not yet agreed to engage in those discussions, the attorney general’s filing adds, saying “there should be no resort to the emergency of this Court when the parties have not even had an opportunity to determine if they can reach an agreement.” The attorney generals’ office says the appellate court should consider the significant court resources arranged for the trial, like “special security arrangements outside and inside the courthouse, many additional security and other court personnel to conduct those security arrangements, and special arrangements to ensure access for the press and public.” Trumps’ Attorneys Agree to Drop Lawsuit Against Engoron Separately, Trumps’ attorneys agreed to drop a lawsuit they filed against Engoron and the New York attorney general. Trump attorneys and his co-defendants notified the appellate court that they’ve agreed with James’ office to discontinue the suit. Engoron handed down the summary judgment ruling last week, causing the appellate court to deny Trumps’ request for a stay as moot because Engoron ruled as they requested. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

21-10-23, 01:03	#62
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Takes the Stand After Judges' Order & Gets Fined TWICE in N.York FRAUD Trial Judge Threatens TRUMP With Prison For Violating His Gag Order in The New York Fraud Case TRUMP Gets RIPPED in Court Over Meidas Report, THREATENED Him with Jail Mary Trump Mocks Donald Trump After Judge Threatens Him With Prison BBC 21 OCT 2023 Ben Meiselas reports on the tongue-lashing received by Donald Trump from Judge Arthur Engoron in court on Friday following MeidasTouchs' exclusive reporting that Trump violated his gag order. Engoron told TRUMPs' lawyers he was considering imprisonment or other sanctions. Mary Trump Mocks Donald Trump After Judges' Threat TRUMPs' estranged niece mocked the former president in a social media post after his trial judge in the New York fraud case threatened him with jail time on Friday. The remarks from Judge Arthur Engoron were delivered as he reprimanded TRUMP for breaking a limited gag order imposed toward the beginning of the civil trial. Earlier this month, TRUMP shared a post from X, formerly Twitter, on his Truth Social network, asking, "Why is Judge Engoron's Principal Law Clerk, Allison R. Greenfield, palling around with Chuck Schumer?" Included in the post was a link to Greenfield's personal Instagram page. The gag order was subsequently put into place, with Engoron citing the "untrue disparaging and personally identifying post about my principal law clerk." The latest admonishment from the judge occurred after the court realized that TRUMP's re-post that was immediately taken off of Truth Social following the gag order was still on the former president's website, and had been for the last 17 days. *The webpage was taken down late Thursday night, but Engoron said the removal only happened in response to an email from the court.* __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

25-10-23, 05:01	#63
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Takes the Stand After Judges' Order & Gets Fined TWICE in N.York FRAUD Trial EX Lawyer Michael Cohen Testifies Against TRUMP in New York FRAUD Trial TRUMP Faces Off in Court With Cohen as Ex-Lawyer Testifies Against Him in TRUMP Organization Civil Trial BBC 25 OCT 2023 Michael Cohen, former attorney for Donald Trump, enters the courtroom at State Supreme Court Ex-President Donald Trump speaks during a break in his civil fraud trial at State Supreme Court on Tuesday in New York Former President Donald Trump waits in the courtroom for proceedings to begin during week 4 of his civil fraud trial at State Supreme Court on Tuesday in New York City. Michael Cohen, the disgraced former lawyer for Donald Trump, testified in a New York courtroom Tuesday about how the former president used inflated financial statements to support claims about his net worth, win deals, and lower insurance premiums, as the two former partners faced-off for the first time in years. "What is the highest price per square foot achieved in the city," Cohen testified, when asked about how Trump used "reverse engineering" to set the value of his assets. "We would use those numbers to inflate these numbers." Cohen is a key witness in the penalty phase of the trial, which will determine the amount of damages Trump will pay in the $250 million civil fraud case. Trump was found guilty in September of grossly exaggerating the value of his real estate assets. Judge Arthur Engoron issued a summary ruling that found Trump's real estate business enriched itself by inflating the value of his New York properties, including his hotels and golf clubs. Trump, who continues to deny he did anything wrong, attended Tuesday's proceeding to hear Cohen's testimony. It was the first time the former partners have crossed paths in more than five years. "It appears that I will be reunited with my old client @realDonaldTrump when I testify this Tuesday, October 24th at the @NewYorkStateAG civil fraud trial. See you there!" Cohen wrote Friday on social media. *During his testimony, Cohen described how Trump would allow only limited access for insurance companies to view his financial statements.* "About three quarters of the way through the meeting, Mr. Trump would then come in, and there would be an extended conversation about his net worth, and that he was richer than the insurance companies," Cohen testified, adding that Trump's last-minute appearance at meetings was pre-planned. According to Cohen, Trump also used inflated financial statements to claim his net worth was "in excess of eight billion dollars" in order to get a line of credit for a 2014 bid to purchase the Buffalo Bills. During cross-examination, Trump lawyer Chris Kise told the judge the defense will prove Cohen "is a serial liar, and he lied to his wife," adding "This witness is completely out of control." Kise also chastised the New York attorney general's office for failing to notify defense attorneys until Saturday that at least four members from the office tested positive for COVID-19 last Wednesday. The case brought last September by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accuses Trump, his eldest sons and his family business of inflating Trump's net worth by more than $2 billion by overvaluing his real estate portfolio. "It's really hypocritical," Kise said, adding that withheld information on their health exposed his team and the leading Republican presidential candidate. During a break in Tuesday's testimony, Trump told reporters Cohen's "record is a horrible one," and that "He is not a credible witness." Cohen was originally scheduled to appear last week but his testimony was delayed to attend to a pre-existing medical condition. Under the Sept. 26 ruling, all of Trump's New York business licenses were revoked, as well as those of his co-defendants, including his two sons and Donald Trump Jr., his longtime finance chief Allen Weisselberg and his company, the Trump Organization. Cohen, who was once one of Trump's most trusted aides, has admitted to being a central figure in Trump's illegal business schemes after spending a decade falsifying financial records before federal agents raided his New York home in April 2018. Subsequently, Cohen cooperated with the investigation and took on a new role as chief witness against Trump following his own arrest and conviction for financial crimes, campaign finance violations and tax evasion, culminating in more than a year of imprisonment. Testifying before the House Oversight Committee in 2019, Cohen said Trump consistently lied about the value of his New York real estate, which defrauded banks and insurers for years, prompting an investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James into Trump's holdings throughout the state. Cohen was deposed ahead of the trial by prosecutors who presented portions of his sworn testimony during opening statements in late September before Engoron found Trump liable without a jury trial, citing overwhelming evidence in the case. In a critical part of the deposition, Cohen said Trump "wanted to be higher on the Forbes list, and he then said, 'I'm actually not worth $6 billion. I'm worth 7. In fact, I think it's actually now worth 8, with everything that's going on,'" Cohen said, adding that he doctored Trump's assets alongside Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty to tax evasion in August 2022. Years before exposing Trump's fraudulent business dealings, Cohen described his unwavering loyalty to Trump, pledging to act against Trump's adversaries on the campaign trail and elsewhere. "It means that if somebody does something Mr. Trump doesn't like, I do everything in my power to resolve it to Mr. Trump's benefit," Cohen told ABC News in 2011. "If you do something wrong, I'm going to come at you, grab you by the neck and I'm not going to let you go until I'm finished." Tuesday's appearance comes as the trial has taken several unexpected turns. Last week, the proceedings were briefly halted after one of Trump's lawyers accused a witness of lying, which triggered several minutes of shouting in the courtroom. Trump hit the defense table with both hands in an apparent moment of frustration with his legal team. Two days later, Engoron fined Trump $5,000 for violating a gag order placed on him Oct. 3, prohibiting Trump from making any public remarks about the judge and his staff. In April, Trump filed a $500 million lawsuit against Cohen, accusing his former "fixer" of false statements and breach of attorney-client privilege. Trump dismissed the action earlier this month. Part of Cohen's 2018 conviction was related to illegal hush money paid to former adult film star Stormy Daniels, with whom Trump allegedly had a sexual encounter that threatened to upend his 2016 campaign for president. In that case, Trump will go on trial in early 2024 after pleading not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records to repay Cohen hundreds of thousands of dollars off the books. Trump is also scheduled to go on trial in New York on 15 Jan. in a defamation lawsuit brought by author E. Jean Carroll, who seeks $10 million in damages from Trump, claiming he defamed her in 2019 when he denied raping her in the 1990s, saying she was "not my type." Another three criminal cases related to classified documents and election interference are due to take place during the height of the 2024 campaign, in which Trump is seeking the Republican nomination for re-election. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

26-10-23, 03:40	#64
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Assails Judge & Clerk AGAIN in N.Y. Civil Fraud Trial TRUMP Fined $10,000 For Violating Gag Order After He Implied The Judges' Clerk is Partisan in New York Civil Trial PLUS Judge Fines TRUMP $5,000 After Threatening Prison For Gag Order Violation in Civil FRAUD Trial For Failing to Remove From His Campaign Website Derogatory Post About The Judges' Clerk. TRUMP Hauled to Witness Stand in Unexpected Twist During New York Fraud Trial - Judge Engoron Appeared Quite Angry BBC 26 OCT 2023 TRUMP Receives Warning From Angry Judge Over Courtroom Behaviour During Fraud Trial A judge warned TRUMP and others at his New York civil fraud trial to keep their voices down Wednesday after the former president threw up his hands in frustration and spoke loudly to his lawyers while a witness was testifying against him. In an unexpected twist, former President Trump took the witness stand Wednesday in his New York civil trial to defend himself — not against any of the fraud charges he faces in the case but to respond to the judges’ assertion that he had violated a gag order in place. The surprise, yet brief testimony took place after an afternoon break — before which the star of the day was his ex-fixer Michael Cohen. Cohen’s testimony itself also took an explosive turn during later cross-examination, when he appeared to contradict his own testimony about inflating Trump’s assets. But it ended up being TRUMPs’ remarks earlier in the day that took center stage. When TRUMP took the stand, Judge Arthur Engoron asked him about a comment he made to reporters regarding a “very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even more partisan than he is.” The trial judge suggested that the person TRUMP was referring to was his principal law clerk, who is seated just to the right of the judge, which TRUMP denied. The gag order earlier imposed barred TRUMP and other parties in the case from speaking about the judge’s staff. TRUMP nodded, then responded, “Yes.” “To whom were you referring?” Engoron asked. “You and Cohen,” TRUMP replied. “Are you sure that you didn’t mean the person on the other side, my principal law clerk?” Engoron asked. “Yes, I’m sure,” TRUMP said. The former president, when prompted, added that he believes the judge’s clerk is “very biased against us” and explained that he took down the previous Truth Social post that sparked the gag order. The post, made on Trumps’ Truth Social account, falsely derided the clerk as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) “girlfriend” and included personally identifying information about her. A Schumer spokesperson called the post “ridiculous, absurd, and false” in a statement to The Hill. Engoron ordered Trump to take down the post at the time. While it was removed from Truth Social, it remained on Trumps’ campaign website for an additional 17 days. When that was made known to Engoron, the judge imposed a $5,000 fine on Trump for violating the order, warning that another violation could result in serious punishment, including steeper financial penalties, contempt or even jail time. On the witness stand, Trump said he believed “one of the political groups, or PACs” left the post up, echoing comments his attorney, Chris Kise, made when the post’s presence on his campaign website was discovered. “I didn’t know they were gonna do that,” Trump said. Through his short testimony, Trump maintained a glum face and looked intently at the judge. When he trailed back to his seat, he kept his eyes on the floor. Once Trump was seated, Engoron issued his order fining Trump $10,000 — which he called “on the liberal side.” “As the trier of fact, I find that the witness is not credible,” Engoron said. Kise objected to the order, suggesting the judge “presupposed some ill motive” on Trumps’ behalf. Kise and Trumps’ other attorneys also claimed that the closeness of Engorons’ clerk to him has essentially made her a “second judge” in the case. The attorneys previously raised issues with Engoron and his clerks’ whispered sidebars, which sometimes include eye-rolling or sighs of exasperation. Engoron rejected their objections and their assertions about his clerks’ role in his decision-making. “Imake the final decisions,” angry Engoron said. After the fine was imposed, Cohen retook the stand to continue his cross-examination by Clifford Robert, an attorney for Trump’s sons. Cohens’ apparent contradictions began to catch up with him when confronted with his testimony and previously glowing words about his ex-client being used against him. Robert presented Cohen with a transcript from his 2019 testimony about Trump’s business practices — the same testimony that New York Attorney General Letitia James has said inspired her case against Trump. At that time, Cohen had said that Trump did not direct him to inflate his net worth — which directly contradicted testimony he gave earlier this week. “Mr. Trump never directed you to inflate the numbers in his personal statement. Yes or no?” Robert asked Cohen after a heated back and forth, where Cohen avoided answering the question. “Yes,” Cohen said. Trump threw his hands in the air and looked around the room, as did another of his attorneys, Alina Habba. Robert asked for an immediate directed verdict after asserting that the governments’ “key witness” testified he was not directed by Trump to inflate the numbers. Without skipping a beat, Engoron denied the order. *TRUMP scoffed, stood abruptly and stormed out of the courtroom in a huff. His Secret Service detail followed, leaving the gallery in a stunned silence.* __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

27-10-23, 18:44	#65
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Assails Judge & Clerk AGAIN in N.Y. Civil Fraud Trial Judge Orders Ivanka Trump to Testify in Fraud Case - Ivanka Trump Must Testify In Her Fathers’ N.Y. Fraud Trial TRUMP Attacks FRAUD Trial Judge as Ivanka Ordered to Testify BBC 27 OCT 2023 TRUMP also attacked the judge in his New York civil fraud trial after he was hit with a $10,000 fine for violating the gag order in the case. This comes as his daughter Ivanka was ordered by the judge on Friday to testify in the trial. Attorneys for Mr Trump previously rejected a subpoena from the New York attorney generals’ office seeking his daughters’ testimony in the civil fraud trial that threatens Trumps’ business empire. Ivanka Trump Tries Getting Out Of Testifying In NY Fraud Trial __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

29-10-23, 03:07	#66
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Assails Judge & Clerk AGAIN in N.Y. Civil Fraud Trial Cohen Predicts Outcome of TRUMP After Testimony Michael Cohen Predicts Multiple Violations of TRUMPs’ Gag Order in Civil Fraud Case BBC 29 OCT 2023 Former TRUMP Attorney Describes His Experience Testifying Against His Former Boss in The New York Civil Fraud Trial. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

02-11-23, 02:10	#67
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Assails Judge & Clerk AGAIN in N.Y. Civil Fraud Trial Trump Jr Testifies in NYC Fraud Trial - Will Testify Again Tomorrow Federal Prosecutor Renato Mariotti Discusses TRUMPs' Latest Social Media Attack on The New York Judge Overseeing His Civil Fraud Trial. TRUMP has previously been fined $15,000 for violating a gag order barring comments about members of Judge Arthur Engorons’ staff. BBC 2 NOV 2023 Donald Trump Jr cracked jokes and appeared in a jovial mood as he testified in court. The questions from the prosecution seemed to be mainly background information; what was his role in the company? How was he involved in the Trust? Those questions will likely ramp up when he is due back for round two tomorrow. Court is scheduled to start at 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT) Donald Trump Jr is the first of the former presidents' children to testify in a New York civil fraud trial, with Eric and Ivanka to be called to the stand in the coming days Eric and Donald Jr, who are both senior Trump Organization executives, are co-defendants in the case - alongside the former president Trump and his sons have denied accusations they falsified business records and committed insurance fraud, among other claims __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

03-11-23, 03:30	#68
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Assails Judge & Clerk AGAIN in N.Y. Civil Fraud Trial Donald Trumps' Sons Defiant in New York Fraud Trial, Try to Shift Blame to Accountants Donald Trumps' two eldest sons took the stand in a New York court, testifying in a civil fraud trial that threatens to engulf the familys' property empire. BBC 3 NOV 2023 Prosecutors say Eric and Donald Trump Jr played key roles in the Trump Organization's efforts to exaggerate its wealth and falsify records. In court, the brothers denied wrongdoing and sought to shift the blame onto the company's accountants. *Their sister Ivanka is also expected to testify later in November.* In his testimony on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, Mr Trump Jr frequently denied having worked on the financial statements at the centre of the case or having knowledge of how the statements and other important business documents were prepared. The graduate of The Wharton School, an Ivy League business college, is executive vice-president at the Trump Organization, along with Eric. He frequently stated that the documents were the responsibility of the company's accountants, the Mazars firm, and other employees. "They have as much, if not more, information and details than I ever would have had," he said. Asked whether he ever took any steps to ensure the documents he was signing off on were accurate, Mr Trump Jr replied: "I can't recall". At one point, Judge Arthur Engoron attempted to cut to the heart of the matter, asking Mr Trump Jr directly whether he had anything to do with the documents. "No I did not, your honour," he said. Eric Trump testified after his brother Donald Trump Jr., and also sought to distance himself from the Trump organization's financial statements. While his older brother projected confidence and made jokes in court, Eric was far more subdued and had several tense interactions with prosecutors during questioning. The 39-year-old often refused to provide "yes" or "no" answers to prosecutors' questions, to their great frustration. Like his brother, Eric attempted to distance himself from financial documents pertaining to his father and the wider Trump Organization, particularly statements of financial condition. Andrew Amer, a senior lawyer with the New York attorney general's office, grilled him for several hours, displaying emails in which the Trump son appeared to contradict statements that he did not have "anything" to do with his father's financial statements. In the emails, Eric Trump agreed to assist Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney with information about a property in Westchester, New York, for a financial statement. Still, Eric Trump said he was not directly involved in preparing the document and did not pay particular attention to how the information was used. "I didn't work on the statement of financial condition," he said. "I've been very, very clear about that." Tensions flared toward the end of the day over another matter: Judge Engoron's law clerk. The judge threatened to expand a gag order he had imposed on former President Donald Trump over a social media post about the clerk to include the family's attorneys. Trump attorney Christopher Kise had made a reference to the female law clerk during an objection. Judge Engoron, who has been protective of staff members involved in the high-profile case, ventured the reference "might be misogyny". The admonishment and threat of expanded gag order did not sit well with the Trumps' lawyers, including Mr Kise, who said he felt the New York judge was biased against him. "I do often feel like…I'm fighting two adversaries," Mr Kise said. "I'm not a misogynist. I'm very happily married and I have a 17-year-old daughter." The Trumps' female attorney, Alina Habba, told the judge she did not believe Mr Kise to be misogynistic and said prosecutors needed to "move on" from their line of questioning. "We've been here all day and have gotten, frankly, not very far," she said. Former President Trump is expected to testify in the case early next week. He has previously appeared in court to watch the testimony of his former attorney, Michael Cohen. He, like his sons, has denied any wrongdoing and earlier this week called Judge Engoron "a disgrace to the legal profession". His daughter, Ivanka Trump - who is no longer listed as a co-defendant in the case - is expected to testify on 8 November. On Wednesday, however, she appealed against the order to testify. Her attorney has argued that she has not lived or worked in New York since 2017. The judge in the case, Arthur Engoron, has already ruled that the Trump Organization committed massive fraud. The trial will ultimately determine what civil penalty should be imposed. New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking a fine of $250m (£204m) and a ban on the former president and his adult sons doing business in the state. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

06-11-23, 14:21	#69
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Assails Judge & Clerk AGAIN in N.Y. Civil Fraud Trial TRUMP Returns to Court to Testify in His Civil FRAUD Trial TRUMP to Give Landmark Testimony in New York FRAUD Trial BBC 6 NOV 2023 In a historic moment for America, Donald Trump is set to give testimony under oath today in a case that threatens to topple his business empire. The former president is expected to take the stand in his civil fraud trial in New York on Monday, days after his adult sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr testified last week. The judge imposed a gag order earlier this month that blocks any parties from making comments about the court’s staff after the former president made a series of false and disparaging remarks about her outside the courtroom and on his Truth Social account. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

07-11-23, 03:30	#70
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Assails Judge & Clerk AGAIN in N.Y. Civil Fraud Trial TRUMP in Court -Day on The Witness Stand...Backed Into a Legal Corner TRUMP Comes Out Swinging in Court Angry Judge Engoron Chides TRUMP & Told Attorneys 'CONTROL Your Client This is a Court -NOT a Political Rally' On Monday, Donald Trump was called to testify in the fraud trial against him in New York. He remained indignant on the stand, suggesting his strategy was more political than legal. BBC 7 NOV 2023 Trumps' day in court was never going to go any other way. - Sparks fly as ex-president takes stand On the stand for a landmark fraud trial, he approached his testimony just as he had his real estate business and political career: ignoring the rules and technicalities, and blustering and bragging his way through it. His aggressive and freewheeling appearance on Monday offered a glimpse at how he may behave as a defendant in the four upcoming criminal cases against him. The former president repeatedly angered Judge Arthur Engoron by refusing to directly answer the questions put to him by the attorney general's office. Yes-or-no questions about accounting documents and dates became extended riffs on the incredible values of his properties, or the partisan leanings of the judge and prosecutors. At one point, Mr Trump declared: "This is a very unfair trial...and I hope the public is watching." While cameras were not allowed inside, dozens of reporters gathered in the courtroom to transmit his testimony to the outside world. Likely understanding this fact, Mr Trump used his time on the stand to ardently defend himself with the same language he has used in social media statements and stump speeches to rile up his base. His Truth Social account even posted an attack on the judge during an afternoon break. The attorney general's office and other prosecutors "were coming after me from 15 sides", he said in response to one question. "All Democrats, all Trump haters, all cases that are not good," he said. "Weaponisation, they call it." *At times his responses were boastful, or simply odd.* To a question from Kevin Wallace of the attorney general's office about his brand's valuation, Mr Trump bragged: "I became president because of my brand." And in response to questions about his golf course in Scotland, Mr Trump reverted to his political opposition to windfarms, one of which was built offshore his club. "I'm not a windmill person," he said. Evasive and partisan answers continued on like this all morning. "Can you control your client" Judge Engoron asked Mr Trump's attorneys at one point. "This is not a political rally." It was one of several reprimands issued from the bench throughout the morning. Witnesses usually do not speak without prompting, let alone at such length. But Mr Trump is no normal defendant. His lawyer Chris Kise admitted as much after the umpteenth admonishment from Judge Engoron. "It's an unusual situation," he said, arguing that Mr Trump should be allowed to speak due to his unique position. The judge, however, was determined to treat Mr Trump like any other defendant. Returning from the afternoon recess, Mr Trump was notably more subdued. Although there was one outburst about Ms James that the prosecution simply ignored, he stuck to shorter answers. The attorney general's office has accused Mr Trump, his top employees and his companies of fraudulently inflating the value of their assets on statements of financial condition, or balance sheets, to get more favourable loans. While on the stand, the 45th president tried to seize the opportunity to boast about the value of his brand - a path he used to great effect when launching his political career nearly a decade ago. In between outbursts, Mr Trump tried to hammer home a defence that his assets were actually worth far more than the numbers on paper and that the banks he allegedly defrauded were paid back in full. He claimed his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago was worth a "very big number", far in excess to the one listed on his statements of financial condition. And he boasted that Trump Tower, his Fifth Avenue skyscraper, occupied the "best location in New York". Mr Trump has been on the stand before. In fact, Judge Engoron put him there briefly earlier in the trial, after he made remarks that the judge believed referred to his clerk. But he is doing so as a former president, current frontrunner for the Republican nomination, and a defendant in four separate criminal trials that, unlike this case, come with jail time. Those trials will play out one by one next year in tandem with the US presidential election. Trump in court...Donald Trump appeared to mimic zipping his mouth closed, possibly referring to a gag order placed on him With the threats against him mounting, Mr Trump has grown more aggressive in his rhetoric, reverting to the political street brawler that saw him seize the 2016 Republican nomination from establishment lawmakers. He has attacked prosecutors directly by name, and lashed out at court staffers. Judge Engoron placed Mr Trump under a gag order in early October after he made disparaging comments about his clerk, who sits to his right. So far, he has fined Mr Trump $15,000 (£12,150) and put his attorneys under a gag order as well, after they claimed the clerk was biased. Midway through his morning testimony Trump dared to take a swipe directly at the judge. "I'm sure the judge will rule against me because he always rules against me," Mr Trump said. "You can attack me, you can do whatever you want," Judge Ergonon said. "But answer the question." MORE; *Four surprises that could upend the 2024 US election* Trump Speech __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

09-11-23, 06:59	#71
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: 'TRUMP is Toast'-Watergate Prosecutor-Ivanka Trump 'Loses' Her Memory on The Stan 'TRUMP is Toast': Watergate Prosecutor Predicts Outcome of Trial *Nick Akerman, who was prosecutor during Watergate, discusses TRUMPs' strategy in the New York civil fraud case against the former president and the Trump Organization* Ivanka Trump, Eldest Daughter of TRUMP, Has Taken The Stand to Testify in The Civil Fraud - 'I Dont Recall' - Elusive Ivanka Tests Prosecutors' Patience...She Testified She Cannot Recall Loan Details BBC 9 NOV 2023 Donald Trumps' daughter Ivanka took the stand on Wednesday at his ongoing civil fraud trial in New York. Despite her appeasing demeanour, she did not reveal much in her testimony, frequently resorting to the refrain 'I don't recall'. Ivanka Trump testifies to New York fraud trial she cannot recall loan details Ivanka Trump said she could not remember property deals she handled at her father's firm, as she testified in a civil fraud case that threatens his business empire. A judge has already found Donald Trump and two adult sons, Eric and Donald Jr, liable for fraud, ruling they inflated assets to secure favourable loans. Ivanka Trump, 42, was initially a co-defendant, too, until an appeals court ruling in her favour this year. She fought hard to avoid testifying. The mother-of-three had argued she could not leave her children in Florida during a school week. But a New York judge and appeals court ruled she must take the stand as a witness. This is a non-jury trial, in which the judge will decide on allegations of falsifying business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy.Trump - the former US president could be stripped of prized assets like Trump Tower. He and his sons deny wrongdoing. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

13-11-23, 07:07	#72
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Assails Judge & Clerk AGAIN in N.Y. Civil Fraud Trial TRUMP: Legal Experts See Uphill Battle in N.Y. Fraud Case TRUMP is The Most Corrupt Person to Ever Hold U.S. Office, Says Republican Congressman BBC 13 NOV 2023 Last week marked the end of the most dramatic phase of Donald Trumps' New York business fraud trial, which saw high-profile members of his family make the journey to Lower Manhattan one by one to answer probing questions from prosecutors. On Monday Trumps' defence team will begin presenting their side, calling the former president's oldest son back to the stand as their first witness. But legal analysts told the BBC that after two damaging weeks of testimony from members of the Trump family, salvaging their case now will be a herculean task. "It's been a disaster from a legal perspective," said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and president of West Coast Trial Lawyers. He believes that Trump is "going to lose this case, and lose badly". In a worst-case scenario for Trump, Judge Arthur Engoron could bar him and his fellow defendants from doing business in New York, and issue fines of at least $250m (£204m) in penalties. Perhaps the most harmful of all the testimony came from Trump himself. When he took the stand on Monday, he called New York Attorney General Letitia James a "political hack", declared the case "a disgrace" and personally attacked Judge Engoron. At several points, Judge Engoron demanded Trumps lawyers rein in his behaviour, and answer the questions posed to him. If they did not, the judge pledged to "draw every negative inference that I can". "If Donald Trump was anybody other than a person with Secret Service protection, he would have been jailed for contempt of court," said Mitchell Epner, an attorney who handles commercial litigation. When he did directly respond to prosecutors' questions, Trump did perhaps even more damage to his cause. At the heart of the attorney general's lawsuit are documents known as statements of financial condition, the balance sheets that the Trump Organization used to demonstrate the value of its properties and Trump's net worth so they could obtain loans and insurance rates. The attorney general's office alleges those documents were fraudulently inflated to obtain deals they could not have received based on their true financials. The judge had already ruled those documents were false. He is now weighing whether there was an intent to defraud, whether the defendants did so for personal gain, and other charges. The judge will also determine whether to issue penalties and if so, how severe. Judge Takes Off Glasses And Smiles as Camera Briefly Gets Into TRUMP Trial __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

14-11-23, 04:28	#73
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP Assails Judge & Clerk AGAIN in N.Y. Civil Fraud Trial Donald Trump Jr. Testifies For Defense in New York Civil Fraud Trial TRUMP Jr Returns to Witness Stand as Defense Makes Case in Fraud Trial Eldest son answers questions from Trumps’ lawyers after saying earlier this month accountants were responsible for documents BBC 14 NOV 2023 Trump Jr is the first witness to testify from the defenses’ witness list, which also includes Donald Trump and Eric Trump as witnesses, though it is unclear whether they will end up being called. The New York judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled Trump should have his business licenses revoked for fraud, though the ruling is going through an appellate court. The New York attorney generals’ office is suing Trump, his adult sons and other executives at the Trump Organization for inflating the value of assets on financial statements. They rested their case after Ivanka Trump testified last Wednesday. Trump faces a fine of at least $250m if found guilty at the end of the trial. Trump’s eldest son had taken the stand on 1 November, where he said he did not work on the financial statements on the case – though he signed multiple documents affirming their fairness and accuracy – and said he expected banks to do their own “due diligence” rather than relying on the financial statements. “I know a lot of bankers that do their own due diligence,” Trump Jr said on the stand. Trump’s team did not question him during his first appearance. His lawyers will be trying to make their case that lenders were not harmed by and had actively sought out relationships with the Trump family. In testimony so far, the Trumps have downplayed the importance of the financial statements, saying they were exclusively handled by the organization’s accountants and legal departments and that the family typically had enough cash on hand to conduct deals. Though they were presented with multiple documents showing they were consulted over the financial statements and had signed off on deals where the statements were used to affirm the family’s net worth, the Trumps said they did not recall working on or using the statements. When Trump himself took the stand, he furiously ranted against the judge and New York attorney general Letitia James, whom he called a “political hack”. His children, especially Ivanka Trump, were calmer on the stand but similarly tried to undermine the importance of the financial statements. Trumps’ defense team said they will wrap up their witness testimonies by 15 December. The trial is scheduled to go until 22 December, though it could end before then. *Angry Trump Insults The Judge AGAIN* and Called Him 'Obsessed' on His Social Media Account....WHY? .. 'If Trumps' team has adopted this antagonistic approach as a deliberate strategy, what could the goal be? "I think he is trying to goad the judge into doing something he can argue on appeal shows prejudice on his part," Prof McMunigal said. "Maybe he makes a comment they can use to support a bias case later." ...DUH... Secret Coup Video: Two Trump Aides Flip on Trump Trumps' Shocking Rhetoric on Veterans' Day __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL** ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

25-11-23, 05:56	#74
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	TRUMP Posts, at 2 AM, Insane 'Thanksgiving' Message With List of INSULTS TRUMP Posts Insane 'Thanksgiving' Message at 2 AM With a List of Insults Trump wished Americans a happy ‘Thanksgiving’ but that wasn’t all, the former US president laced his message with insults. BBC 25 NOV 2023 “Happy Thanksgiving to ALL, including…” New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has brought a $250 million civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and his business; Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the Manhattan trial; and President Joe Biden. Oh, and “all of the other Radical Left Lunatics, Communists, Fascists, Marxists, Democrats, & RINOS, who are seriously looking to DESTROY OUR COUNTRY.” Trump ended with an upbeat message for his supporters, though. “Have no fear, however, we will WIN the Presidential Election of 2024, & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! he concluded the post. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

25-11-23, 06:47	#75
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: TRUMP Stung by Filing on 'GAG Order Must Remain' & Posts Insane Thanksgiving Mess TRUMP Stung by Filing on 'GAG Order Must Remain' in New York Civil Fraud Trial & Posts Insane Thanksgiving Message Sky News Australia Posts Satirical Video of TRUMP and Argentinas’ President Milei Crashing Thanksgiving Dinner BBC 25 NOV 2023 The Department of Justice submitted a court filing on Thanksgiving arguing that a gag order against the former president must remain while pointing to documents filed as part of the $250 million civil fraud trial in New York. On Thursday, November 23, Cecil Vandevender, an assistant special counsel for the Department of Justice, notified the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals of a document which said that a gag order needs to be reinstated against Trump during the civil proceedings in New York, where state Attorney General Letitia James has accused the former president of fraudulently inflating the value of his properties in financial statements. The government's court filings pointed the appeals court to one section in particular, in which an employee at the New York State Unified Court System details the "hundreds of threatening and harassing voicemail messages" which had been sent to Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the civil trial, as well as the judge's law clerk Allison Greenfield Sky News Australia Host Reacts to Trump and Milei Crashing Thanksgiving Dinner... Argentinas newly-elected President Javier Milei and Donald Trump taking part in a Griswold-style Thanksgiving dinner party. The doctored clip shows Javier Milei using a chainsaw to carve up the Thanksgiving turkey at the family table. A dancing Donald Trump comes bursting out of the turkey. The pair then continue to dance together. *Milei recently took out a resounding victory in Argentinas presidential election.* __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

30-11-23, 07:41	#76
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	NY Civil Trial Judge Told About $40 Mil Unreported TFRS -Deutsche Bank Exec Testi TRUMP Financial Watchdog Tells Judge About $40 Million in Previously Unreported Transfers -- *Deutsche Bank Executive Testifies in TRUMP NY Civil Trial* TRUMP DEMANDS Government Punish MSNBC For Critical Coverage Media Still Not Ready to Cover ORANGE MAN TRUMP After Years of Lies MSN 30 NOV 2023 Experts See Uphill Battle For TRUMP as Legal Cases Come at Him From All Sides A watchdog told a New York judge about $40 million in cash transfers that were not previously disclosed by the Trump Organization, as is required to do. The money was used to pay $29 million in taxes by former President Donald Trump, and to secure a civil judgment against him in the sex assault lawsuit by the writer E. Jean Carroll. *The monitor, Barbara Jones, was appointed in 2022 to monitor the financial statements of the Trump Organization as part of New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit against that firm.* Former Deutsche Bank Executive Testifies in TRUMP NY Civil Trial 'Make Them Pay': TRUMP DEMANDS Government Punish MSNBC For Critical Coverage Media Still Not Ready to Cover TRUMP After Years of His lies __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

07-12-23, 06:20	#77
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP & N.Y. Judge That Had BOMB Threat, Had Contentious Exchange in Court Eric Trump Will NOT Testify at Trump Organization Fraud Trial After Father Claims He Told Him Not To TRUMP claims he told his son not to testify since ‘His young life has already been unfairly disturbed and disrupted enough’ The Guardian 6 DEC 2023 Eric Trump walks to attend the trial against the Trump Organization at the New York state supreme court in New York City on 3 November Light illuminates half of TRUMPS' face as he exits court in New York. “I told my wonderful son, Eric, not to testify tomorrow at the RIGGED TRIAL,” Donald Trump wrote late on Tuesday night in a rant against the trial. TRUMP said that his son “already testified PERFECTLY”. “There is no reason to waste any more of this Crooked Court’s time on having him say the same thing, over and over again, as a witness for the defense (us!). His young life has already been unfairly disturbed and disrupted enough on this corrupt Witch Hunt.” TRUMP also confirmed in the post that he would take the stand on Monday. He is expected be the last witness to testify at the trial. Eric Trumps’ appearance was supposed to be the first time a member of the Trump family has been on the stand since 13 November, when Donald Trump Jr appeared as the defense team’s first witness. During his second time on the stand, Trump Jr spent much of his time extolling the “sexiness” of the Trump Organization’s assets, giving what at times felt like a real estate presentation. Eric Trump last took the witness stand in early November when he denied involvement with various financial documents and appraisals, including ones he had signed off on or was consulted about. Eric Trump, along with his father and older brother, Donald Trump Jr, is a defendant in the trial. The trial, which kicked off 2 October, is starting to wind down as the last of the former US president’s witnesses take the stand. At stake for the family business is a $250m fine for illegally inflating the value of assets on state financial documents in order to boost Donald Trump’s net worth. Judge Arthur Engoron is the sole decider of the case, which does not have a jury. Engoron issued a pre-trial ruling in September that, if accepted by an appeals court, will see Donald Trump lose his business licenses, making it nearly impossible for the Trump family to conduct business in New York. After four weeks of witness testimony, Trump’s team has been trying to build its case that he had latitude when valuing his assets and that it was ultimately the responsibility of Trump’s accountants and lenders to ensure accuracy. Trump has argued the company’s financial statements contained a clause that made them “worthless” and that they were unimportant to the banks making loan decisions. Engoron has already struck down that argument but Trump’s team has continued to return to it. “These bankers were paid back in full, there was no harm, no anything, everybody got their money in full,” Trump said when he last took the witness stand on 6 November. “The banks don’t even know what they’re doing in this case.” Trump is reportedly planning to attend the trial on Thursday. He has not made an appearance in court since he took the witness stand nearly a month ago. Trump has attacked the case, the judge and his staff throughout the trial and has been pushing the limits of a gag order Engoron issued against him. Last week, Trump criticized Engoron’s wife, who has played no role in the trial, calling her the judge’s “Trump hating wife” on Truth Social. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

11-12-23, 00:06	#78
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: TRUMP & N.Y. Judge That Had BOMB Threat, Had Contentious Exchange in Court In a Reversal, TRUMP Says He Will NOT Testify in His Own Defense in New York Fraud Trial The former president was scheduled to take the stand Monday as the months long, $250 million civil fraud trial against him and his company enters its final week. AP 11 DEC 2023 In an eleventh-hour reversal, TRUMP announced Sunday he will not go back on the witness stand in the $250 million civil fraud trial against him and his company. “I have already testified to everything & have nothing more to say other than this is a complete & total election interference (Biden campaign!) witch hunt” so “I will not be testifying on Monday,” TRUMP said in an all-caps, two-part post on his social media platform Truth Social. TRUMP had been scheduled to testify Monday as one of the final defense witnesses in a trial that has lasted two months and is entering its final week of testimony. He had been expected to tout his company’s success and push back on New York Attorney General Letitia James’ claims that he vastly overvalued his properties and his net worth in financial statements that he used to get favorable loans from banks that he otherwise would not have been entitled to. Called as a witness by James’ team on Nov. 6, a combative Trump made similar claims while also launching attacks on the AG and the judge who will decide the case, Arthur Engoron. He called James a “political hack” who “should be ashamed of herself” and referred to Engoron as a “very hostile judge.” “He ruled against me and he said I was a fraud before he knew anything about me, nothing about me,” Trump said, referring to the judge’s pretrial finding that Trump and his company had engaged in repeated acts of fraud. “It’s a terrible thing you did,” TRUMP told the judge of the order, which he is appealing. James shrugged off TRUMP change of heart in a statement. "Whether or not Trump testifies again tomorrow, we have already proven that he committed years of financial fraud and unjustly enriched himself and his family. No matter how much he tries to distract from reality, the facts don’t lie,” the AG said. TRUMP was under no obligation to testify since it’s his own defense case. His son Eric Trump similarly backed out of testifying this past Wednesday, which the elder Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday night he’d directed him to do. Like his father, Eric Trump had testified as a witness in the AG’s case. “Eric has already testified, PERFECTLY,” Trump wrote, “so there is no reason to waste any more of this Crooked Court’s time on having him say the same thing, over and over again, as a witness for the defense.” TRUMP sits between his two lawyers during his trial at New York State Supreme Court. TRUMP used a similar rationale in his Truth Social posts on Sunday, writing in all-caps: "I have very successfully & conclusively testified" in the AG's "rigged trial against me." "The only fraud committed was by the highly partisan & out of control judge, & racist A.G.," he claimed. *'Only guilty people plead the 5th or refuse to testify in their own defense. The last time he was under oath, he pled the 5th over 400 times'* __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

11-01-24, 17:19	#79
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Judges' Home Hit With BOMB Threat After He BARS TRUMP From Giving Closing Argument TRUMP BARRED From Speaking in His Own Defense in Closing Argument in New York Fraud Trial The judge in former President Donald Trumps' New York fraud trial has BLOCKED him from speaking in his own defense during closing arguments. TRUMPS' Previous Offensive THREATS and Behaviour to Judges and Court Staff Has Made Judge Engoron Angry MailOnline News 11 JAN 2024 TRUMPS' lawyer had informed Judge Arthur Engoron of the plan and the judge initially approved of it On Wednesday, Engoron rescinded the decision, even though Trump is still expected to appear in court Thursday Judge Arthur Engoron said he does not expect Donald Trump to speak during closing arguments in the $370 million New York civil fraud trial against Trump. In a letter to attorneys for Trump and New York Attorney General Letitia James just after noon, Engoron said that Trump hasn’t agreed to conditions he set should the former president wish to give a statement Kise also asked Engoron to postpone Thursday’s closing arguments until Jan. 29 due to the death of Trump’s mother-in-law. Engoron refused that request because of security and scheduling concerns, but offered his condolences. *“I won’t debate this yet again. Take it or leave it," the judge shot back, with an all-caps addition: “I WILL NOT GRANT ANY FURTHER EXTENSIONS.”* __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

11-01-24, 18:14	#80
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	BOMB Threat on Judges' Home After He BARS TRUMP From Giving Closing Argument Justice Arthur F. Engorons' Long Island Home Was Hit With BOMB Threat Just Hours Before Closing Arguments in The TRUMP Bank Fraud Trial Bomb threat is made at home of TRUMP bank fraud judge in attempt to disrupt trials' closing arguments: At least six police cars and the bomb squad arrive TRUMPS' Previous Offensive THREATS and Behaviour to Judges and Court Staff Has Made Judge Engoron VERY Angry MailOnline News 11 JAN 2024 Bomb threat is made at home of TRUMP bank fraud judge in attempt to disrupt trials' closing arguments: At least six police cars and the bomb squad arrive.. Judge Engoron had earlier rejected TRUMPS' request to speak on his own behalf during closing arguments A bomb threat was made at the home of the judge presiding over TRUMPS' New York bank fraud trial hours ahead of closing arguments. Cop cars were dispatched to the Long Island home of Justice Arthur F. Engoron on Thursday morning after someone threatened to blow up the residence. A bomb squad was also on site, reported the Daily Beast. The threat has been perceived by some as a tactic to delay the closing arguments of what has been a dramatic and heavily politicized trial. Earlier this week, the judge barred the former president from making his own closing argument. The decision solidified TRUMPS' view of Engoron as a 'TRUMP HATING JUDGE,' as per his post to Truth Social on Wednesday evening, which obviously incited the bomb threat. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

12-01-24, 17:42	#81
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: FED Judge Installed to Monitor & Check TRUMPs' Finances in Civil FRAUD Case TRUMP and New York Judge That Had BOMB Threat, Had Contentious Exchange in Court TRUMP Ignored Warnings From NY Fraud Trial Judge & Berates Him at Closing Arguments. Engoron Attempted to Interrupt TRUMP With a Warning W.O. Success Daily Mail 12 JAN 2024 TRUMP ignored warnings from the judge in his New York civil fraud trial Thursday and turned closing arguments into an election campaign attack, claiming that prosecutors are out to stop his political comeback. Prosecutors are demanding $370 million from TRUMP over fraud allegations -- and to bar him from conducting business in the state where he made his name as a celebrity real estate tycoon. TRUMP had sought to deliver full closing arguments himself, but permission was denied when he failed to sign off on restrictions aimed at stopping him from using the courtroom as an electioneering platform. Judge Arthur Engoron then allowed TRUMP to make brief additional comments after his lawyer had spoken -- again insisting that the Republican presidential candidate and former president respect courtroom rules. Trump almost immediately launched into a bitter attack on the New York state attorney general, saying, "They want to make sure I never win again. The (attorney general) hates Trump... and if I can't talk about that it's a disservice." Engoron attempted to interrupt Trump with a warning to wrap up his statement and Trump responded: "You have your own agenda, you can't listen for more than one minute. Engoron told Trump's lawyer to "control your client." This trial is one of multiple criminal and civil cases Trump faces as he seeks to return to the White House, ranging from a rape allegation to conspiring to overturn the 2020 election result. He is accused of fraudulently inflating or deflating the value of his properties in order to obtain favorable bank loans or insurance terms. "The myriad deceptive schemes they employed to inflate asset values and conceal facts were so outrageous that they belie innocent explanation," New York Attorney General Letitia James's office said in a filing. If found liable, the amount to be paid by Trump and his companies will be revealed in the judge's final order, for which no date has been confirmed. As the case is civil rather than criminal, there is no threat of jail time. TRUMP Has a NEW Principal Occupation - He is Now a Defendant.... __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

01-02-24, 16:01	#82
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: FED Judge Installed to Monitor & Check TRUMPs' Finances in Civil FRAUD Case As TRUMP Awaits Verdict, Monitors’ Report Could Raise TRUMPS Risk in $370 Million Fraud Case TRUMPS' Misrepresentations Cost Banks $168M, Expert Testified *-HOW & Where Does He HOPE to Get Any NEW Loan?..* *TRUMPS' Attorney Criticized Independent Monitors' Report* 1 FEB 2024 As Trump Awaits Fraud Penalty, a Monitors’ Report Could Raise His Risk A monitor drew attention to “deficiencies” in the Trump Organizations’ financial reporting ahead of a verdict in a case brought by New York State that seeks $370 million. As a New York judge weighs Donald J. Trumps’ civil fraud case, new accusations of deficiencies in his companys’ financial reporting could provide the judge with ammunition for a forceful ruling against the former president and his family business. ECB President: 'I DON'T regret warning about Donald Trump' *European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde tells CNN's Richard Quest that Europe needs to prepare for a potential doomed second Trump presidency.* __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

02-02-24, 20:07	#83
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: FED Judge Installed to Monitor & Check TRUMPs' Finances in Civil FRAUD Case TRUMP Organization FRAUD: TRUMP is Toast - Former CFO Talking to Prosecutors About Perjury Plea Deal Former TRUMP Chief Finance Officer Talking to Prosecutors: Weisselberg Poised To Plead Guilty To Perjury In NY Civil Fraud Case. Ex-Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg Was Released From Rikers Island in APRIL 2023 MSNBC 2 FEB 2024 Allen Weisselberg Finance Officer Has Already Done Time in Rikers. Weisselberg pleaded guilty to tax fraud and was sentenced to five months in jail. Donald Trumps' former long time finance chief is negotiating a deal with Manhattan prosecutors that would involve pleading guilty to perjury for testimony he gave in Trumps' civil fraud trial. Well, Well, Well … I know the web of Trump legal entanglements is hard to keep track of, but this is a salient development in a very live case where a judgment is soon expected that could force Trump to disgorge millions of dollars and bar him from the New York real estate biz. Longtime Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg is in talks with the Manhattan DA’s office to plead guilty to committing perjury during his testimony in the civil fraud trial brought by state Attorney General Letitia James, the NYT is reporting. I should emphasize that the plea deal isn’t final yet, and the NYT report is based on unnamed sources. According to the report, Weisselberg would admit to lying on the stand and to lying under oath in an interview with James’ office. Prosecutors have been leaning on Weisselberg to flip against Trump for a very long time. But this new report suggests even a perjury conviction isn’t going to be enough to flip Weisselberg, who already spent time in jail for his conviction on engaging in fraudulent business practices while at the Trump Org: “The deal being negotiated would most likely not require Mr. Weisselberg, 76, to turn on his former boss.” Still, Weisselberg was at the center of the Stormy Daniels’ hush money scheme, for which Trump is set to go to trial in coming weeks, in what will now likely be his first criminal trial, and a guilty plea here could bolster Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s case while undermining Trump’s defense. Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for the verdict on damages and penalties in the underlying civil fraud case. The judge had set a self-imposed deadline for himself to rule of Jan. 31, but the court confirmed yesterday that the ruling won’t come until early to mid-February. *Not clear if the delay is in any way related to separate Weisselberg prosecution.*

17-02-24, 09:09	#84
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: FED Judge Installed to Monitor & Check TRUMPs' Finances in Civil FRAUD Case King of DEBT TRUMP Ordered to Pay $355MIL and Barred From Doing Business in New York For 3 Yrs by Judge Whose Long Island Home Was Hit With BOMB Threat. Judge Arthur Engoron Issued The Order on Friday. TRUMPS' sons Eric and Don Jr. are also banned from serving in top roles at New York company for two years and ordered to pay $4 million each. How will He Pay The $438MIL He Owes in Penalties From Civil Trials? Donations Have Considerably DROPPED Since His Lurid Accusations Against D.A. Fani Willes The properties TRUMP may have to sell off to cover $355M fraud verdict including Trump Tower his golf courses and his New York estate MailOnline 17 FEB 2024 Trump valued his Park Avenue Apartments at $50 million over 65 times the $750,000 those units were appraised at in 2010 In 1995 Trump purchased his 213-acre Seven Springs estate in Westchester County, New York for $7.5 million Trumps Florida estate the court found Trump inflated the value of as much as 2,300%. Tax appraiser estimates put it between $18 and $27.6 million TRUMP has long touted his vast real estate empire, but the future of the embattled former presidents' property holdings remains unclear after the former president was ordered to pay more than $350 million in the blockbuster civil fraud trial and banned from doing business in New York for three years. In the end, Trump could have to sell property or other assets to cover his legal penalties. How Will He Pay $438MIL? Two giant penalties handed down in a matter of weeks will cost him millions – and that’s only part of what he could owe In a matter of weeks, Donald Trump was hit with two giant penalties from two civil trials in New York – $83m for defamation against the writer E Jean Carroll and $354.9m for inflating the value of his assets on government financial statements. The verdicts combined will cost him some $438m, and that’s only part of what Trump could owe across numerous lawsuits. The payments will probably create a sizable dent in his wallet. Bloomberg’s billionaires’ list estimated that Trump’s net worth in 2021 was about $2.3bn, meaning these two rulings alone could take out almost a fifth of Trump’s net worth. Trumps finances have been notoriously opaque, not least because the Trump Organization is a private business, meaning it does not have to file public financial reports. But here’s what we know about what Trump has to pay and how it will affect his finances. It All Depends on The Appeals Trump is likely to appeal both cases, the outcomes of which could affect how much he ends up owing. It is unclear how long the appeals will take. For reference, an appeals court has yet to rule on a May 2023 ruling for a separate Carroll case that found Trump guilty of sexual abuse and defamation. Trump was ordered to pay $5m in damages in that case. Also, the appeals court is technically considering two appeals coming out of Trump’s fraud trial. The first appeal came after a September pre-trial ruling found Trump guilty of fraud, ordering the removal of his business licenses. The second appeal is about the penalty the New York judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay after the months-long trial. It is unclear whether the appeals court will decide on the two appeals together or separately, but it will probably be at least a few months before any decision is announced. Bankruptcy For Trump is Unlikely While $438m is no small sum, Trump is wealthy. Trump ally Rudy Giuliani declared bankruptcy after a jury ordered him to pay $148m to two Georgia election workers; the former New York mayor has declared he owes between $100m and $500m and has assets of between $1m and $10m. *To declare bankruptcy, Trump would have to prove that the verdict outweighs his assets, something that is highly unlikely.* During a deposition with prosecutors for the fraud trial in April 2023, Trump said that he had more than $400m in cash. However, last year, Forbes reported that Trump had since invested the bulk of his cash in bonds and treasuries, with a small portion kept in stocks and mutual funds. After his guilty verdicts, Trump will probably have to sell a good chunk of those investments. A big question is whether Trump will have to touch anything in his real estate portfolio. Trump has gotten a cash boost from selling his properties before: he sold his golf club in the Bronx last year, and in 2022, he completed the sale of the Old Post Office building in Washington DC, which was converted into a hotel. Court documents showed that the sale of the Old Post Office netted $131.4m before taxes, according to the New York Times. It will be a tough decision for a man who, just several years ago, claimed he was worth $10bn. This pride in his wealth has recently been used against him. In closing arguments in Carroll’s January trial, her lawyers told the jury that they should punish Trump with higher damages precisely because he claims he is so wealthy. “A billionaire like Donald Trump could pay a million dollars a day for 10 years and still have money left in the bank,” Carroll attorney’s Roberta Kaplan told the jury on 26 January. “It will take an unusually high punitive damages award to have any hope of stopping Donald Trump.” Trump will still have to pay the court, even as appeals go through Even though Trump is waiting on multiple appeals decisions, he will have to give the court the money to hold on to. If Trump wins any of his appeals, he can get his money back. Trump has a few options in paying the court. He could pay up everything that he owes now in cash. Or he could try to get an appeal bond, meaning he wouldn’t have to pay all the cash up front in exchange for a premium and putting up collateral. In his May 2023 Carroll case, Trump set aside the $5m he owed in cash, saving him about $55,500 in what would have been bond premiums. Though Trump may prefer to pay out the verdicts in cash, it is unclear whether he has enough on hand to avoid a bond this time. Trump is rich with campaign money, but spending it on personal legal expenses will be complicated Trump has been zealously fundraising off his legal troubles, probably because he has sizable legal fees for his two civil trials and four criminal trials. What Trump can pay for using his campaign money is unclear. A federal law bans candidates from using campaign funds for personal use, making it unlikely that Trump can use campaign funds to help pay off some of the Carroll award and fraud penalty. But Trump has not shied away from using campaign funds for some of his trials. The Associated Press reported in October that Trumps’ Save America political action committee (Pac) had paid $37m in legal fees, more than half of the Pac’s total spending. And the money kept flowing in. Trump was the Republican candidate who received the most donations last fall, raising $45.5m in the third quarter. Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of the race in January, raised the second most, taking in about $30m. “He built his business by lying to people.” TRUMP Fined Eye-Watering $355 Million in Fraud Case TRUMP Says Judge is a VERY Crooked Man

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Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,614 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: FED Judge Installed to Monitor & Check TRUMPs' Finances in Civil FRAUD Case REVENGE; NY AG Letitia James Says She WILL SEIZE TRUMPS’ Assets If He Fails to Pay $355m Fraud Fine AG Letitia James wants to seize TRUMPS’ assets — including some of his prized NYC properties New York attorney general says she may seek enforcement mechanisms in court if ex-president does not have funds to pay The Guardian 22 FEB 2024 The New York state attorney general, Letitia James, said that she will seize Donald Trumps’ assets if he does not pay the $355m civil fraud fine stemming from his financial fraud trial. “If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets,” James said to ABC News in an interview on Tuesday evening. James added that she would not hesitate to seize Trumps’ buildings, including his 40 Wall Street skyscraper in Manhattan. “We are prepared to make sure that the judgment is paid to New Yorkers, and yes, I look at 40 Wall Street each and every day,” James told ABC. Last Friday, a New York judge fined Trump, his two eldest sons, and associates $354.8m and $100m in pre-judgment interest after ruling that Trump had falsely reported his net worth to obtain more favorable loan terms. Trump overstated his net worth by as much as $3.6bn a year, the judge, Arthur Engoron, ruled. Trump and his legal team have denied any wrongdoing and decried the verdict as politically motivated. They have said they will appeal the ruling. Trumps’ attorney, Alina Habba, attacked the verdict as “manifest injustice” and part of a “multi-year, politically fueled witch-hunt that was designed to ‘take down Donald Trump’”. Trump claimed on his platform Truth Social that there were no victims in the case. But James told ABC that she believes in the strength of her case, noting that “financial frauds are not victimless crimes”. “He engaged in this massive amount of fraud. It wasn’t just a simple mistake, a slight oversight, the variations are wildly exaggerated, and the extent of the fraud was staggering,” James said. The latest fine comes in addition to a $83.3m judgment against Trump for a defamation suit brought by the journalist and author E Jean Carroll.