Civil action
“Nothing more to say”: Trump refrains from testifying further in the fraud trial in New York
Donald Trump at the defense table in the Supreme Court of New York (archive photo)
© Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AP / DPA
A month ago, Donald Trump clashed with the judge in a civil lawsuit. Now the former US President is stubborn and no longer wants to comment on the case in court.
The ex-president and his sons Donald Trump Junior and Eric Trump are accused in the civil case of having inflated the assets of the family real estate empire by billions of dollars over the years in order to get better conditions for loans and insurance.
Just over a month ago, Trump clashed with Judge Arthur Engoron in the courtroom. “This is not a campaign event,” said Engoron to the 77-year-old Republican. “Please just answer questions, no talking.” The ex-president, in turn, spoke of a “very unfair” and “crazy” process.
A fine awaits Donald Trump
Judge Engoron had already ruled in advance of the trial, which has been ongoing since the beginning of October, that Trump overstated the assets of his real estate and thereby committed “fraud.” The civil process is therefore particularly concerned with the question of how high the penalty will be.
Attorney General James has demanded a fine of $250 million (around €234 million). She also wants Trump and his two eldest sons to no longer be allowed to run companies in New York. The ex-president is not threatened with a prison sentence in this case.
Trump, who wants to run again in the presidential election in a year, has rejected all allegations and described them as politically motivated. In addition to the civil case, he has been charged in four criminal cases. Two indictments concern the Republican’s attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and thus stay in power.