New York — Jr. took the witness stand Wednesday in his father’s real estate fraud trial, becoming the first of the former president’s children to testify in a case in which $250 million and a ban on the iconic Trump Organization operating in New York is at stake.
The oldest child of former President Donald Trump was subpoenaed in the fraud case brought against several members of the Trump family as well as the Trump Organization. Eric Trump is also expected to testify this week, followed by his father and next week.
Don Jr.’s testimony could impact the penalties the judge in the case, Arthur Engoron, orders. Engoron ruled in late September that the former president defrauded banks and insurers by inflating the value of his assets and exaggerating his net worth in paperwork he used to make deals and get financing. The oldest child oversees the Trump Organization’s portfolio of properties and is responsible for commercial leasing for Trump Tower and other properties, according to the state’s lawsuit.
The New York Attorney General’s Office has asked the judge to forfeit all financial benefits that each defendant received, which it estimated to be about $250 million, and to bar Trump family members from high-up positions in a New York corporation.
An appeals court already tossed out the case against Ivanka Trump, ruling that too much time had passed since her involvement in the Trump Organization. Engoron nonetheless said she must testify pursuant to a state subpoena.
The former president won’t be in the courtroom Wednesday, although he has voluntarily attended several previous days of the trial: Trump is traveling to Texas on Wednesday. He has a campaign event Thursday at an offshore oil and gas drilling company in Houston.
That didn’t keep him from attacking the judge over his family’s testimony. At the end of a message posted at 2:28 a.m., eastern time, Trump wrote: “Leave my children alone, Engoron. You are a disgrace to the legal profession!”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump Jr. testifies in Trump fraud trial in New York
Evan Massoud is a political analyst with a knack for dissecting policy and governance. He provides readers with informed perspectives on political developments at home and abroad. Evan’s dedication to civic engagement extends to volunteering in local politics.
