Donald Trump’s Heirs on the Hot Seat: High-Stakes Testimonies in Civil Fraud Trial
In a dramatic courtroom battle, Donald Trump’s sons are poised to steal the spotlight at the $250 million civil fraud trial against the Trump family and their business empire in New York this week. The trial’s focus worded headline and their testimonies are set to be the turning point.
Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s eldest son, is set to take the stand on Wednesday, facing intense scrutiny from lawyers representing New York State Attorney General Letitia James. Their aim is to uncover his involvement in and knowledge of financial statements that Attorney General James alleges were grossly inflated.
Following Donald Jr., his brother Eric Trump is expected to testify, either late Wednesday or on Thursday. The former president himself will grace the courtroom on Monday, with his daughter Ivanka Trump’s testimony to follow.
The attorney general’s office maintains that Trump’s children were not just bystanders but were fully aware of and knowingly participated in a long-running scheme to inflate the company’s assets falsely. Their objective was to secure loans and insurance policies on more favorable terms than they rightfully deserved. In contrast, the Trump family vehemently denies any wrongdoing, and an appeals court already dismissed Ivanka Trump as a defendant, ruling that the claims against her were too dated.
During their tenure at the Trump Organization, the children held executive vice president roles within their father’s real estate empire. Ivanka Trump departed the company to join her father in the White House, while Donald Jr., Eric, and former Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg assumed leadership roles after Donald Trump’s election as president. Weisselberg was subsequently removed from his trustee position in 2021 due to tax fraud charges, and he later testified against the company in a related criminal trial.
Donald Trump Jr.’s testimony is expected to shed light on his involvement with the company’s financial statements. These documents were shared with banks and insurers and allegedly contained wildly inflated asset and property valuations. When his father held office, Donald Jr. and Weisselberg were responsible for endorsing these statements, representing them as accurate and prepared in accordance with accepted accounting practices. Attorney General James’ office contends that neither of these representations holds true.
The attorney general also plans to question Donald Jr. about the valuations of specific Trump properties, such as a Park Avenue apartment building valued at $292 million, a figure allegedly six times higher than the property’s actual appraised value. The lawsuit also highlights a discrepancy in the valuation of one apartment, which was listed at $25 million, even though Ivanka Trump, who had been renting it, had an option to buy it for just $8.5 million.
Next in line is Eric Trump, portrayed in the lawsuit as the key figure responsible for managing and operating the Trump Organization, including overseeing new project acquisitions, development, and construction. The attorney general’s office will place substantial emphasis on questioning Eric Trump regarding a 200-acre property called Seven Springs in Westchester County, New York. The property’s value skyrocketed from $30 million in 2006 to over $260 million in Trump’s financial statements, as per the attorney general’s allegations. The presiding judge, Arthur Engoron, has already found the Trump Organization liable for fraudulently inflating the value of Seven Springs.
Ivanka Trump’s testimony, originally scheduled for Friday, has been postponed to the following week due to prior commitments. The attorney general’s office plans to grill her on her Park Avenue apartment and various loans she helped negotiate for the company.
With the lawsuit seeking $250 million in damages, it also aims to prevent Trump and his sons from serving as officers or directors of any New York corporation, making this trial a pivotal moment in the Trump family’s legal battles.
Visit for more – Soul String Report