Trump expected to attend opening of his civil fraud trial in New York on Monday: Sources
Former President Donald Trump is expected to attend the opening of his civil fraud trial in New York on Monday, multiple sources familiar with the decision told ABC News.
Opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday at 10 a.m. in the case brought last September by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who accused Trump, his eldest sons and his family business of inflating Trump's net worth by more than $2 billion by overvaluing his real estate portfolio.
The valuations caused lenders and insurers to give Trump better terms than he otherwise deserved, the attorney general said.
Last week, the presiding judge, Arthur Engoron, granted the state's motion for partial summary judgment, effectively deciding the core of the case, finding "conclusive evidence" Trump and the others "overvalued the assets reported in the statements of financial condition between 17.27-38.51%; this amounts to a discrepancy of between $812 million and $2.2 billion."
The bench trial will help Engoron decide how much monetary penalties Trump should pay. The state has asked for about $250 million.
Trump has no speaking role on Monday, but he is expected to return to the courthouse in lower Manhattan toward the end of the state's case when court records show he will be called as a witness.
