In a significant legal showdown, former President Donald Trump is set to go on trial in a New York civil lawsuit on Monday, facing allegations of extensive business fraud. While the state attorney general’s office is the formal adversary in this lawsuit, Trump will also find himself in a contentious face-off with the presiding judge.
Trial Pits Trump Against Judge Engoron
This trial represents the culmination of several months of tension between Donald Trump and Justice Arthur Engoron, a Democrat elected as a Manhattan trial judge in 2015. The verdict of this non-jury trial rests solely in the hands of Judge Engoron, following a series of heated disputes between him and Trump.
In a surprising turn of events, Trump’s lawyers revealed that he may attend the trial in person. If he follows through, Trump will be sitting in close proximity to a man he has publicly criticized as “deranged.”
Judge Engoron’s Recent Ruling
Just last week, Judge Engoron issued a pivotal ruling that could have dire consequences for Trump’s family business. Engoron found Trump liable for widespread fraud and revoked licenses for some of his flagship properties, including Trump Tower and the Trump International Hotel. This ruling sets the stage for the trial to predominantly focus on the penalties that Trump will now face, which could be substantial. Attorney General Tish James is seeking $250 million in damages and a ban on Trump running businesses in the state.
In response to this sweeping pretrial ruling, Trump called Judge Engoron “unhinged” and a “political hack” who “must be stopped.”
Trump’s Efforts to Challenge Engoron
Trump’s confrontations with Judge Engoron began well before the lawsuit from Attorney General James was filed. During James’ investigation, Engoron held Trump in contempt of court, imposing daily fines of $10,000 for Trump’s failure to comply with a subpoena from James’ office. Ultimately, the judge released Trump from the contempt order but required him to pay a total of $110,000 in penalties.
Core Issue: Fraudulent Net Worth
Judge Engoron’s ruling last week addressed a pivotal question posed by James’ lawsuit: Trump fraudulently inflated his net worth between 2014 and 2021. The trial commencing on Monday will delve into the actions taken by Trump, his businesses, his adult sons, and his associates with this false information. Allegedly, they used it to secure favorable terms from banks and insurance companies, resulting in insurance fraud, as well as to gain tax benefits.
The trial’s outcome will also determine the financial penalties Trump must pay. James seeks $250 million in penalties, a lifetime prohibition on the Trumps from serving as officers or directors in any New York companies, a five-year ban on Trump or his company from entering into any real estate acquisitions, among other potential penalties.
A Series of Upcoming Trials
For Trump, the commencement of this civil fraud trial marks the beginning of a string of trials scheduled from October through May. After this trial, he faces a federal defamation trial on January 15, a federal class action lawsuit trial on January 29, a federal criminal trial on March 4, a New York state criminal trial on March 25, and another federal criminal trial on May 20.
It’s worth noting that Trump is also under indictment in Georgia for election interference, with a trial date yet to be set.
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