Former President Trump is scheduled to make his closing argument this week in a massive fraud trial in New York that threatens his business empire, according to multiple reports.
Mr. Trump, the Trump Organization, and several executives, including his adult son, are accused in a New York state court of falsely altering the value of company assets in key financial statements to obtain tax and insurance benefits. Secretary of State Letitia James (Democratic Party) has accused him of this.
ABC News and the Associated Press reported that the former president himself is expected to release a final summary of his defense on Thursday, nearing the end of the trial. The plan was approved by Judge Arthur Engoron, who oversees the court trial and ultimately renders the verdict, according to people who spoke to The Associated Press.
The Hill has reached out to Trump's lawyers and campaign for comment.
Throughout the trial, Trump has used the spotlight on the witness stand and in stump speeches in the courthouse hallway to denounce the case as politically motivated. Mr. Engoron, his court staff, and Mr. James, who filed the lawsuit in 2022, are each the targets of Mr. Trump's ire.
It is highly unusual for a former president to make a closing statement in a fraud case, as he is not represented and has asked multiple lawyers to make statements.
If President Trump speaks personally, it would be his last chance to persuade Engoron. Mr. Trump and the judge clashed several times during the trial, primarily over a gag order issued by the judge that prohibited the former president and his lawyers from commenting on the chief law clerk.
Engoron found Trump and his co-defendants guilty of fraud ahead of the trial, refocusing the trial on other claims including conspiracy, insurance fraud and falsifying business records. Trump's lawyers appealed the decision.
The New York State Attorney General's Office asked a judge to force President Trump to pay a nearly $370 million fine and to permanently ban the former president and two executives from doing real estate business in New York. The office also sought a five-year ban on the former president's adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, from participating in the New York real estate industry.
Engoron said he could rule on the case as early as this month once closing arguments are complete.
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