Moments after arriving at a Manhattan courthouse Monday morning to testify in a $250 million fraud case, former president Donald Trump slammed the proceedings as an attempt at “election interference” by New York attorney general Letitia James.
Based on decades of financial records, the state alleges that Trump significantly overstated the value of his assets in statements of financial condition in an effort to secure more favorable loan terms.
“This is really election interference,” Trump told reporters outside the courtroom. “This trial is ridiculous.”
“It’s political warfare, as you would call it, or political lawfare,” the 2024 GOP primary candidate continued. “I got a lot of names for it.”
The trial began in October with opening statements and witnesses taking the stand. Last week, Trump’s two adult sons Donald Jr. and Eric, who are involved in their father’s business and are named as defendants, testified.
Addressing reporters outside the courthouse on Monday, James predicted that Trump would be hostile and even personally insulting when he took the stand.
“Mr. Trump has repeatedly and consistently misrepresented and inflated the value of his assets and before he takes the stand I’m certain that he will engage in name calling, taunts and race baiting, calling this a witch hunt,” James said.
While it appears like a criminal proceeding, the trial concerns a civil complaint, for which Trump was already found liable in September. Justice Arthur Engoron of New York state court in Manhattan determined that the Trump organization engaged in fraudulent accounting practices that earned Trump $100 million and enabled him to inflate the value of his net worth by $2 billion.
However, Engoron declared Trump guilty on only the first cause of action. The trial is on the remaining six causes of action. James is seeking $250 million in damages and nine other remedies, two of which Engoron has already granted to the state. The other remedies are expected to be litigated during the rest of the trial. Another goal of James’s is to prevent the family from doing future business in New York.
Trump faces this civil dispute in addition to four criminal cases. While this case will not result in a prison sentence, it further endangers his reputation as he attempts to secure re-election in 2024.