Former President Donald Trump, along with his sons Eric and Don Jr., is set to face a civil fraud trial in New York on Monday. The trial could have significant implications for Trump’s business empire and his political ambitions, as he seeks to reclaim the White House, while multiple criminal cases are pending against him.
Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled that Trump and his sons committed fraud by inflating the value of assets belonging to the Trump Organization over several years.
Trump confirmed his intention to be present at the trial, taking to his Truth Social platform to say, “I’m going to Court tomorrow morning to fight for my name and reputation.” He labeled the entire case a “sham.”
In addition to the civil case, Trump is facing several major criminal proceedings in the coming months. He is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Washington on charges related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden.
Following that, Trump will face criminal hush money charges in a New York state court and allegations of mishandling classified documents in a Florida federal court. He will also address state charges in Georgia, where prosecutors allege he illegally attempted to alter the 2020 election results.
In the New York civil case, Judge Engoron determined that Trump, his sons, and other Trump Organization executives had misled tax collectors, lenders, and insurers in a scheme that exaggerated property values by hundreds of millions to billions of dollars between 2014 and 2021. As a result, the judge revoked the business licenses of some Trump Organization properties in New York.
The potential consequences of enforcing these penalties could significantly impact Trump’s ability to conduct business in New York and could lead to him losing control over key properties.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $250 million in penalties and the removal of Trump and his sons from the management of the Trump family’s business empire. The trial is expected to feature high-profile witnesses, including Trump himself, Allen Weisselberg (former financial director of the Trump Organization), Trump’s children, and Michael Cohen (Trump’s former lawyer turned critic), among others.