Trump civil fraud trial begins in New York

NEW YORK — Former President Trump will face trial in New York starting Monday in a sweeping civil case alleging decades of fraud by him and his businesses.

A New York judge with whom Trump has repeatedly butted heads will preside over the trial without a jury, placing the fate of the former president’s business empire solely in his hands. 

Judge Arthur Engoron found Trump liable for fraud last week, ruling that New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) proved the crux of her case.

The decision stripped some of Trump’s business licenses and raised the potential for him to lose control of some of his famed properties. Engoron also rejected Trump’s effort to throw out the case, allowing six remaining elements to proceed to trial.

“[James] has demonstrated that there remain, at the very least, disputed issues of fact as to whether defendants violated these statutes, intentionally and materially,” Engoron wrote in a 35-page ruling.

Following a multi-year investigation, James’s office sued Trump, the Trump Organization and his two adult sons — Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. — last September, claiming the former president’s company falsely inflated and deflated the value of its assets to receive lower taxes and better insurance coverage.

Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney and various business entities connected to Trump are also defendants in the case.

The attorney general’s office is asking for $250 million in financial penalties and a ban on Trump and his children from serving as officers or directors of New York companies.

Trump signaled last week in unrelated court filings that he may attend the trial’s start in person, delaying his deposition in another case involving his ex-fixer, Michael Cohen. The former president is not required to attend the civil fraud trial in person, which is expected to last several months. 

If Trump does attend the start of his trial, he will come face to face with Engoron, whom he has berated online as “deranged,” “Trump hating,” “unhinged” and a “political hack judge.” Both of Trump’s adult sons have claimed Engoron is aiming to “destroy” their family’s business empire. They all have denied any wrongdoing. 

Monday’s trial marks the start of a long legal road ahead for Trump, who also faces a combined 91 charges in four criminal cases and several other civil cases

In January, two federal civil cases involving Trump — writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit and a federal class action lawsuit accusing the former president and his company of promoting a pyramid scheme — will head to trial in New York.

Trump’s first federal criminal trial on charges he sought to subvert the 2020 election is set for March 4. The New York hush money trial charging Trump with falsifying business records is scheduled to begin March 25. And a second federal criminal trial over the former president’s alleged mishandling of classified documents is set to begin May 20.

Trump is also charged in a Georgia criminal case alleging he and 18 others attempted to subvert the state’s election results to keep him in power, but a trial date involving him has not yet been scheduled.

James said in a statement Monday that her office won the foundation of its case last week, proving that Trump’s net worth has “long been rooted in incredible fraud.”

“In this country, there are consequences for this type of persistent fraud, and we look forward to demonstrating the full extent of his fraud and illegality during trial,” James said. 

“No matter how rich or powerful you are, there are not two sets of laws for people in this country,” she continued. “The rule of law must apply equally to everyone, and it is my responsibility to make sure that it does.”

Updated at 8:21 a.m. ET