Former President Donald Trump’s attempt to delay his fraud trial was denied on Thursday by a state’s appellate court. Now, the trial will start as originally planned on Monday – and the ex-president is expected to be in the courtroom.
Judge Arthur Engoron ordered the trial to be temporarily delayed after Trump argued that his appellate ruling was still pending. The New York attorney general’s office said that Trump’s argument was a “brazen and meritless attempt” to “usurp” Engoron’s authority.
Last week, Engoron ruled that New York Attorney General Letitia James’ had proven her case that Trump had committed business fraud. The trial starting on Monday will determine the damages that he owes the state – James is seeking $250 million.
Trump’s business license was suspended by Engoron, putting at risk several of his well-known properties.
Trump, the Trump Organization and his two grown children, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., are also defendants.
The judge ruled that over the course of a decade, Trump has falsely inflated and deflated his asset values in order to obtain better insurance coverage and lower his taxes. James is also asking that Trump and his children be banned as officers or directors of licensed corporations in New York.
