In the ongoing civil fraud case against former president Donald Trump, the New York judge has rejected major arguments presented by his defense team, dealing a significant blow to Trump’s case.
What Happened: Judge Arthur Engoron dismissed key defense arguments and criticized Trump’s accounting experts after the trial testimony concluded last week. Trump’s lawyers’ motion for a directed verdict was also denied by the judge, reported CNN on Monday.
Judge Engoron criticized the defense’s use of testimonies from Trump’s accounting experts, Eli Bartov and Jason Flemmons, describing it as a “glaring flaw”. He also dismissed the defense’s arguments regarding the subjectivity of valuations and the law penalizing only ‘material’ deviations.
The judge challenged the defense’s use of disclaimers on Trump’s financial statements to avoid liability, stating they were not disclaimers at all. In his order, Engoron detailed several material inaccuracies in Trump’s financial statements and found the Attorney General's expert on disgorgement credible, contradicting defense claims that the banks lending Trump money were not injured.
Why It Matters: Prior to the trial conclusion, Trump’s defense had made significant moves, including paying a hefty fee to expert witness Bartov. He had also decided not to testify in his defense.
Despite these efforts, the dismissal of key defense arguments and the rejection of a request for an immediate verdict as per a Benzinga report indicates a challenging path ahead for Trump s defense
The judge has already ruled that Trump, his adult sons and their businesses were liable for persistent and repeated fraud. He also ordered the dissolution of Trump’s business certificates. With witness testimony concluded, both sides have until January 5 to file briefs summarizing their positions. Oral arguments are scheduled for January 11.
Photo via Shutterstock
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