Trump Declines Second Testimony at NY Civil Fraud Trial

The former President has declined to testify for the second time on his Civil Fraud Trial case, claiming that he has already provided enough proof.

Here you have the details of the news.

Trump Declines Second Testimony at NY Civil Fraud Trial

The front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024 and former US president Donald Trump was anticipated to testify again on Monday to conclude his defense in the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The trial concerns a case filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James last year, alleging that Trump and officials from Trump’s Organization collaborated to falsify financial statements.

These statements were provided to banks and insurers to secure loans and close deals by inflating Trump’s wealth by billions of dollars. Despite leading the Republican field for the 2024 presidency, Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

Regarding the Civil Fraud trial, Trump stated he wouldn’t testify for the second time, asserting that his previous testimony was “very successful and conclusively.”

He posted, “I will not be testifying on Monday,”  on his social media platform, Truth Social, less than 20 hours before he was due to enter the witness box.

Trump wrote, “I have already testified to everything & have nothing more to say other than this is a complete & total election interference (Biden campaign!) witch hunt that will do nothing but keep businesses out of New York.”

James wrote a post to X in response to Trump’s announcement, pointing out that he had already provided testimony in the matter.

“Whether or not he testifies again tomorrow, we have already proven that he committed years of financial fraud and unjustly enriched himself. No matter how much he tries to distract from reality, the facts don’t lie.”

On Sunday, Trump’s attorney, Christopher Kise, stated, “President Trump has already testified. There is really nothing more to say to a judge who has imposed an unconstitutional gag order and thus far appears to have ignored President Trump’s testimony and that of everyone else involved in the complex financial transactions at issue in the case,”

On November 6, Trump exhibited a lot of defiance and aggression. In addition to denying misconduct and protecting his fortune, he and the judge got into a heated argument several times.

He called the judge “extremely hostile” and called James “a political hack.”

The decision marked a dramatic shift from Trump’s recent statements, in which his attorneys claimed he was determined to testify once more despite their worries about a gag order that has cost him $15,000 (€13,900) in fines for making derogatory remarks about the judge’s law clerk.

Before the trial, Engoron declared that Trump and the other defendants had committed fraud. A receiver was supposed to take over some of Trump’s properties, but an appeals court has put that order on hold.

Six other claims, including ones involving conspiracy and insurance fraud, are currently being evaluated by Engoron.

James demands that Trump be prohibited from conducting business in New York and faces penalties of more than $300 million (€278 million).

The presidential primary season will begin with the Iowa caucuses on January 11, which is just four days before the closing arguments. By the end of January, Engoron hopes to conclude this case.

At the black-tie event hosted by the New York Young Republican Club on Saturday evening, Trump was accompanied by Alina Habba, where he spoke briefly and claimed, “I have proven my innocence literally every single day.”