Accused serial criminal and fraudster Donald Trump was in court today in New York. And there are videos and pictures! (Well, the judge overruled the video part. But still, what a glorious sight!) The Worst President of modern times was in court for his civil trial after NY Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit accusing him and his company of fraud.
Last week, a judge found that Trump was liable and that he inflated the value of some of his properties in order to secure certain loans that he otherwise probably would not have received. Major white male privilege at its best honestly.
Reporters from The Hill have been providing valuable live updates throughout the proceedings. James was seated in the front row of the gallery. Trump’s annoying son Eric Trump was also in attendance. A little bit after 10:00 AM, the Donald arrived. Police, as well as Secret Service, entered alongside him, reminding us of the great protection taxpayers provide him even though he is a proven traitor. But that is a different topic for a different day.
At the start of the day, Judge Engoron denied a motion to televise the trial. Darn it! But he did say he would allow photographers. Kevin Wallace, counsel with the NY AG office, made opening remarks claiming that the Trump organization had committed “repeated, persistent illegal acts.” This is something many in New York have said they already knew. It is great to hear this in court though! The state also played a part of Michael Cohen’s deposition. Cohen was a lawyer and fixer for Trump and has played a key role in this case. He has asserted that he was part of a team that was tasked with inflating Trump’s assets. According to Cohen, Trump really wanted to be higher on the Forbes list of richest people so they would increase the value of his assets to help him get to a number in net worth that he wanted, say, $8 billion.
Many people, including Hillary Clinton, have been trying for years to tell people that Trump wasn’t as rich as he said he was. This was the start of laying out those claims and trying to prove that this has been true the whole time.
Then it was time for the slimy defense. Trump’s attorney, Chris Kise, said that the state was just telling “stories” and not giving facts. He asserted that Trump has made billions and his brand is one of the most successful in the world. Part of the defense theory is that there was no intent to defraud. A fascinating quote by Kise said: “Banks will tell you — in sophisticated commercial real estate, it’s not an intentional defrauding; it’s simply the opinion of the owner of the property.”
Hang on, are they trying to frame this as a “free speech” issue? Is he saying he can claim the Mar-a-Lago property is worth $300 billion if he wants to? Just because it’s an “opinion”? Seems like a crock to me!
Trump and his cronies are, predictably, trying to dismiss this case as a “witch hunt.” That’s what they have claimed for every legal battle Trump is up against so that’s not surprising. They have continued to attack NY Attorney General Letitia James. Trump legal spokesperson Alina Habba said that James had a mission all along to get Trump. Trump spoke at the courthouse before proceedings began and had similar sentiments. He said that this was a “continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time.” He also called the judge rogue and called James racist because of course he did.
Reporters from The Hill noted that before the lunch break, Trump glared sternly at Letitia James for a few seconds. Women and specifically women of color have been such a huge part in bringing real accountability to Trump and his crooks and he cannot stand it. James, Willis, and others have helped bring these legal challenges and you know he hates to see women have power over him.
Regardless of Trump’s childish behavior and insecure feelings, the trial will continue with people like Cohen expected to testify. The judge will decide the case, not a jury. We will be following!
(featured image: Seth Wenig-Pool/Getty Images)
