© David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports
(New York, NY) – It looks like former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York is close to ending. The defense rested its case on Tuesday with testimony from an NYU accounting professor. A rebuttal witness may be presented by the state prior to closing statements. It’s expected a verdict will be handed down by the end of January. Over the weekend, Trump announced he wouldn’t testify for a second time — as he had already testified when the prosecution had the case.
New York Attorney General Tish James accuses Trump and the Trump Organization of overstating the value of real estate assets, in a bid to get better financial terms from lenders and insurance companies. She’s seeking a $250 million fine, and the dissolution of the Trump Organization’s business license in New York.
Trump says the entire case is political in nature and aimed at harming his candidacy for president. He’s called it a witch hunt and says AG James should be focused on prosecuting serious crimes that victimize people — as Trump notes there’s no clear victim in this case, as no lender or insurance company claims they weren’t paid back.
