Donald Trump wanted to defend himself at the end of his civil trial on charges of financial fraud in New York, but the judge strongly refused, according to an email exchanged on Wednesday between the former US president’s lawyer and the judge.
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The former President of the United States is accused, along with his two sons, Eric and Donald Jr., in New York civil courts of inflating the value of skyscrapers, luxury hotels or golf courses at the heart of their empire, the Trump Organization, during the 2000s. To obtain better loans from banks and better insurance terms.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who filed a complaint in the fall of 2022 for financial fraud, is demanding $370 million in damages from them.
As the trial neared its end, Donald Trump's lawyer, Chris Case, wrote to Judge Arthur Engoron in early January to indicate that his client wanted to handle the defense arguments himself, scheduled for Thursday, according to an email exchange included in the filing. Court file seen by Agence France-Presse.
After a number of back-and-forth reviews since January 4 regarding the desirability and terms of such an extraordinary request, Judge Engoron issued a sharp denial on Wednesday.
The previous day, the lawyer had asked to postpone the case until January 29, arguing that Donald Trump’s mother-in-law had just “died” and that his client “was very close to her.”
The request was denied by Judge Engoron who on Wednesday afternoon set an ultimatum for Donald Trump to accept all these conditions: “Take it or leave it. It's now or never. You have until noon, in seven minutes. I will grant no further delay.”
A quarter of an hour later, the judge decided in a new email: “He will not speak in court tomorrow,” Thursday.
Since the trial began on October 2, the 77-year-old businessman has protested against justice every time he comes to court, in the courtroom or in the corridors, denouncing a “witch hunt” or a “trial worthy of a banana republic.” . After the attacks on his clerk, Judge Engoron banned him from speaking about his team and imposed two fines totaling $15,000 for violating the order.
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