Donald Trump’s civil trial for real estate fraud began with a bang this Monday in New York. Accused with two of his sons of having overvalued their real estate assets for years, the former president did not hesitate to denounce “electoral interference” aimed at preventing him from returning to the White House in 2024.
Dressed in a navy blue suit and electric blue tie, Donald Trump and his lawyers faced a prosecutor he called “racist” and “corrupt”, as well as a judge he called a “thug”. For him, this trial is a “sham” which aims to discredit him and prevent him from running in the next presidential election.
Accused of fraud and cheating, Donald Trump, as well as his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr, are facing a civil complaint filed by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. According to the latter, they deliberately overvalued their assets in order to obtain more advantageous loans and better insurance conditions.
Donald Trump’s lawyers have denied any accounting irregularities, saying the former president built a successful real estate empire. They said it was not fraud, just doing business in real estate.
The trial will last several months and many witnesses will be called to testify, including Donald Trump himself and his children. If the final decision were to be unfavorable to the former president, it could have significant consequences on his economic empire, with financial penalties reaching up to $250 million.
The civil trial is the first in a series for Donald Trump, who also faces criminal charges in other cases, including one in which he is accused of trying to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election .
In conclusion, Donald Trump’s civil trial for real estate fraud is one of the most high-profile events of this year. The stakes are high for the former president, who risks losing control of his economic empire. It will be necessary to closely monitor the development of this affair which could have repercussions on his future political career.