Trump appears before judge in civil fraud case: A sad day for America!
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Describing the civil fraud case against him as a "disgrace", former US President Donald Trump argued that his net worth is "much higher" than it appears in the financial statements that form the basis of the case.
Former President of the United States of America (USA) Donald Trump appeared before a judge in a $250 million civil fraud case in which he is accused of over-declaring his assets to obtain better commercial terms on bank loans and insurance transactions for the Trump Organization.
During the afternoon portion of the trial, the prosecution asked Trump about a 2012 term loan agreement between him and Deutsche Bank. Trump said that the agreement at the time stipulated that he had "a minimum net worth of $2.5 billion" and that he was aware of this, adding that he had about $300-400 million in cash at the time, "Yes, I had a lot of money. That was the only thing they cared about." Arguing that his net worth is much higher than it appears in the financial statements that form the basis of the lawsuit, Trump said, "So there is no lawsuit!"
HE CALLED THE CASE A "DISGRACE"
During the hearing, Trump reiterated his complaints about the case, calling it a "disgrace". "While murders are being committed on the streets of New York, the attorney general here is chasing the little things," Trump said, adding that the prosecution "continues to ask the same questions over and over again." In the final part of his testimony, Trump answered questions about his former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, who was sentenced to prison for tax evasion for his responsibility at his own company. Claiming that this happened to Weisselberg because he worked for him, Trump said, "I feel very bad about this situation."
"A SAD DAY FOR AMERICA"
Leaving the court after testifying for about 4 hours, Trump said in a statement at the exit that the hearing "went very well" for him, but that it was "a very sad day for America". Stating that he came to court because the case was a "hoax", Trump emphasized that his testimony was "very precise". Speaking about the Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, which is the subject of the lawsuit, Trump stated that the value of the property is "50-100 times" more than the $ 18 million mentioned in court.
ATTORNEY GENERAL JAMES: TRUMP FUDGED THE VERBIAGE
Making a statement outside the court, Attorney General Letitia James said that Trump "beat around the bush" and "hurled insults". "I will not give in to bullying and harassment. This case will continue," James said, adding, "The numbers don't lie." James said he looks forward to hearing Ivanka Trump's testimony on Wednesday, adding that his team plans to finalize the case afterwards.
TENSE MOMENTS
In a statement before today's hearing, Trump described the case as "election interference" and accused the parties of being "political agents". New York Attorney General Letitia James, on the other hand, stated that Trump would mock and racialize Trump before taking the stand, "But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters are facts and figures. The numbers don't lie, my friends," she said. In the morning part of the hearing, Judge Arthur Engoron interrupted Trump while he was answering questions about his company's financial statements and warned, "Please answer questions about the hearing, do not make political speeches." When Trump continued to speak despite the warning, Judge Engoron told Trump's lawyers, "Please control your client. This is not a political rally. This is a courtroom. Not only are questions going unanswered, they are being repeated. We have no time to lose. We have one day with this witness."
Trump and his family are denying charges in a lawsuit alleging that they falsified official documents by overstating the value of their properties by $2 billion. It is stated that if the Trump family loses the case, they will face a fine of at least 250 million dollars. The fate of Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, the penthouse apartment in Trump Tower in Manhattan, various office buildings and the Trump family-owned golf courses is also expected to be determined according to the outcome of the case.
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