Judge peppers lawyers in prelude to trial of New York's business fraud lawsuit against Trump
A New York judge has continued arguments over whether an October trial to determine if former President Donald Trump committed fraud will go on as scheduled
NEW YORK — A New York judge peppered Donald Trump's lawyers with questions Friday — sometimes admonishing them — as they tried to persuade the court to throw out a civil lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney general accusing the former president and his company of deceiving banks, insurers and others by exaggerating his wealth.
At times, Judge Arthur Engoron argued with Trump attorney Christopher Kise. In one case the judge ended a back-and-forth by simply saying, “Disagree.”
Later, the judge pounded his fist on the top of his bench in disagreement with Kise’s interpretation of one law, opining the intent of that law is, “You cannot make false statements.”
The hearing ended without any rulings, and arguments will resume Wednesday. Regardless, Friday's court proceedings served as prelude to a trial that could begin as soon as Oct. 2.
A lawyer for New York Attorney General Letitia James also tried to persuade Engoron to hand down a summary judgment on the lawsuit's most significant claim — that Trump committed fraud by inflating property values and exaggerating his net worth by as much as $3.6 billion on annual financial statements used by him and his company to secure financing.
The judge also questioned the state's lawyer, Assistant New York Attorney General Andrew Amer, but his tone was less combative.
At one point, Engoron reminded those in the packed courtroom that he was trying to be fair to both sides, suggesting that the tenor of his questioning shouldn't be seen as an indication of how he will ultimately rule.
Last week, Trump’s attorneys filed a lawsuit
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