Former President meets with a judge he has repeatedly chastised.
Donald Trump appeared in a Manhattan court on Monday for the start of a civil fraud trial that could bankrupt his business, calling it the “single greatest witch hunt of all time.”
As he entered the courtroom to face New York state Attorney General Letitia James’ claims that he and his corporation misrepresented asset valuations for a decade and earned almost $250 million in ill-gotten riches, the former president said nothing. James, a Democrat, is requesting a slew of sanctions that would bar Trump from doing business in New York or with other state institutions. And she has already obtained a broad pretrial judgement ordering the termination of business licenses Trump requires to operate in New York.
As the hearings began, the former president, clad in a dark navy suit and an azure tie, sat angrily with his arms crossed at the defense table alongside his lawyers in the ceremonial courtroom. Before the proceedings began, Trump slammed James and the presiding judge, State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, in the hallway outside the courtroom.
“We have a racist attorney general who is a horror show, who ran on the basis that she was going to get Trump before she even knew anything about me,” he stated. He referred to Engoron as a “rogue judge” who mistakenly rated Trump properties at a fraction of their genuine value.
On the courthouse steps, James, who is Black, stated that Trump and the other defendants had committed fraud on several occasions and that her office will hold them accountable.
“No matter how powerful you are, no matter how much money you think you may have, no one is above the law,” she stated.
Even after last week’s decision, six claims connected to insurance fraud, conspiracy, and document falsification remain for trial. According to the judge, these claims require the attorney general to demonstrate some element of Trump’s fraudulent intent as well as proof that the erroneous values mattered.
The trial might last until December.
Because of Trump’s appearance Monday, there was a large security presence outside the courthouse. The perimeter was surrounded by metal barricades, with New York Police Department police and court personnel stationed at checkpoints. A dozen anti-Trump protesters marched outside the courthouse earlier in the morning, brandishing placards and yelling, “Trump lies all the time.”
