This is pure madness.
On Tuesday, a judge, Justice Arthur Engoron, delivered a verdict asserting that Donald Trump engaged in a pattern of deceiving banks and insurance companies over an extended period while constructing his real estate empire. This accusation, vehemently denied by the former president, saw him staunchly defending the integrity of the Trump Organization, characterizing it as a “distinguished company” frequently targeted by what he termed a “politically motivated witch hunt.”
According to Newsmax, the ruling by Justice Engoron precedes a significant civil lawsuit amounting to $250 million, which has been filed against Donald Trump, his adult sons, and the Trump Organization by the New York Attorney General, Letitia James. Justice Engoron concurred with Letitia James’s contention that Trump had artificially inflated the value of his assets and exaggerated his overall net worth.
In a preemptive response to the ruling, Donald Trump lambasted Justice Engoron on the preceding Monday, implying that he had foreseen the outcome. He criticized the judge, referring to him as a “Trump hater.”
“I have been unjustly targeted by Letitia James, the Democratic Attorney General of New York, who harbors strong animosity towards me, over baseless allegations that I misrepresented my financial statements,” Trump stated on Truth Social.
He went on to express dissatisfaction with Justice Engoron, asserting that the judge had declined to transfer the case to the “Commercial Division,” where Trump believed it belonged, alleging that the judge’s bias against him was even greater than that of Attorney General James, who had made disparaging and false remarks against him during her campaign.
Justice Engoron’s ruling concluded that Trump, along with his sons and key company executives, had consistently provided false information on financial documents with the intention of securing more favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums.
Justice Engoron directly addressed a claim made by Trump on Monday, where the former president pointed to a disclaimer clause on the financial statements’ front page, suggesting that it absolved him of any wrongdoing. However, Justice Engoron dismissed the significance of this disclaimer, determining that Trump’s financial practices had crossed ethical boundaries, rendering the disclaimer insufficient to exonerate him.
The non-jury trial is scheduled to commence on October 2nd. Nonetheless, Trump’s legal team has initiated a lawsuit against both Letitia James and Justice Engoron, potentially delaying the trial’s outset. While some claims were dismissed in Tuesday’s summary judgment, an appeals court is expected to issue a ruling on the lawsuit against James and Engoron on Thursday.
In addition to the $250 million in penalties, Letitia James is also seeking a prohibition on Donald Trump conducting business within New York, his home state. The trial is projected to extend until December.