Donald Trump Jr.’s testimony in New York fraud trial with family empire at stake shocks the audience with his blasé attitude.
$250 Million Trial
In the heart of a $250 million civil fraud trial that threatens the Trump family’s vast real estate empire, Donald Trump Jr. entered the witness stand in New York on Wednesday.
He sported a dark blue suit and pink tie and, as photographers were given the green light to capture the moment, he quipped, “I should have worn makeup.”
As the eldest son of the former US president, Donald Jr. is the first of his siblings to take the witness stand in this high-stakes trial, now in its fifth intense week, held in a Manhattan courtroom.
His appearance is part of a lawsuit that could potentially bring down the Trump family business. Eric Trump, another co-defendant in the case, is also scheduled to testify this week, followed by his father, Donald Trump himself on November 6th.
More Is Yet to Come
Over the course of the past month, more than a dozen witnesses have provided their testimony, with some of the most significant witnesses yet to appear, as the office of the state Attorney General Letitia James prepares to rest its case.
Ivanka Trump, who was originally removed as a defendant earlier this year, will testify next week following her father’s appearance in court.
The case revolves around allegations of financial fraud in which the Trump family, including Donald Jr., is accused of inflating the former president’s net worth and assets to unlawfully obtain financial benefits spanning over a decade.
Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled that a trial is not necessary to establish the fraud claims as per the more than 200 pages in James’s complaint from last year.
The Trump Trustee
The Trump Organization and its core associates have come under scrutiny, with Donald Jr. serving as a trustee of his father’s trust when he took office in 2017.
Eric Trump, who has also been present in court during these proceedings, has taken over the daily management of the family business.
The lawsuit filed by Letitia James’s office alleges that both Donald Jr. and Eric Trump were involved in creating fraudulent financial documents central to the case.
In a recorded deposition, Donald Jr. claimed that he had “no real involvement in the preparation of the statement of financial condition and don’t really remember ever working on it with anyone,” and that he relied on the expertise of accountants and other Trump Organization employees.
On the witness stand, Donald Jr. reiterated his lack of involvement in preparing the financial documents and emphasized that his role was to approve these documents based on the recommendations of accounting and legal experts.
Passing the Buck
Donald Jr. said, “If it was more legal, it would be from legal. And, ‘Hey, are we OK signing this document? Do you believe it to be honest and accurate?’ And if they were OK with it, they’d have much more knowledge than I would ever be able to amass, so I would sign it”.
He continued, “I listen to their expertise, that’s what we paid them to do”. The former first son also claimed he had no recollection of significant details concerning the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust.
He confirmed that former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg had been removed as a trustee following his indictment on tax charges related to the Trumps’ business empire.
He further disclosed that he was not familiar with “generally accepted accounting principles” (GAAP), which he referred to as something he learned about in “accounting 101” while he was a student at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Donald Jr. also denied recognition of a document from March 2017 that designated him as his father’s agent for specific business dealings, although he confirmed that his signature was on the document.
Like Father Like Son
Like father like son, both Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have spent the last few days spewing their rage all over social media.
While Donald Jr. ranted about Rob Desantis and Joe Biden, his father used his social media presence to attack Judge Engoran.
Trump posted on his Truth Social account, fuming, “Leave my children alone, Engoron. You are a disgrace to the legal profession!”
He went on to say, “Engoron is crazy, totally unhinged, and dangerous,” adding, “our Judicial System has gone to H**LL”.
The post Trump Expresses Outrage as His Family Is Summoned to Testify: ‘Leave My Kids Alone! first appeared on Edge Media.
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Katie Glenn is an esteemed writer and political analyst, renowned for her incisive coverage of international politics and issues concerning freedom and liberty.