What did Donald Trump say about his business and properties while testifying in court?
Donald Trump became the first former US head of state to testify before a jury. What did he say?
The civil trial against Donald Trump is ongoing in New York. On Monday, November 6th, the former president appeared in court in lower Manhattan to face allegations of fraud amounting to $250 million. During the hearing, Donald Trump took the stand, becoming the first former president to give testimony under oath before a jury. New York Attorney General Letitia James has accused Trump of inflating the value of his properties and assets to obtain financial deals and reduce his tax burden.
The turbulent testimony of Donald Trump
During his four-hour testimony, Donald Trump refused to answer questions posed by the prosecutor clearly and concisely. This caused tension between him and Judge Arthur Engoron. Trump responded with answers more typical of an electoral campaign and remained firm in his stance on an alleged “witch hunt.” He noted that “the fraud is in court, not in me,” referring to AG James, who was observing the former president’s testimony from meters behind, and also to the judge himself, whom he accused of issuing a ruling against them “before knowing anything” about their companies.
Judge Engoron even went so far as to threaten to remove the former president from the bench and requested that his lawyers control their client’s behavior.
Trump acknowledges errors in the valuation of his apartments
Although the tantrums between Trump and Judge Engoron were the center of attention, the truth is that one of the key factors was Trump’s admission of errors in the valuation of his properties. The attorney general’s office lawyer, Kevin Wallace, pressed Trump to acknowledge that mistakes had been made in the valuation of some of his properties, including the apartments located in Trump Tower. Trump reluctantly admitted that there were times when errors had occurred in the valuation.