Donald Trump wanted to defend himself at the end of his civil trial for financial fraud in New York, but the judge sharply refused, according to an email exchange Wednesday between a lawyer for the former US president and the magistrate.
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The former President of the United States is accused with his sons, Eric and Donald Jr, before the New York civil courts of having colossally inflated during the 2010s the value of skyscrapers, luxury hotels or golf courses in heart of their empire, the Trump Organization, to obtain more favorable loans from banks and better insurance conditions.
The Attorney General of the State of New York, Letitia James, who filed a complaint in the fall of 2022 for financial fraud, is demanding $370 million in compensation from them.
As the trial draws to a close, a lawyer for Donald Trump, Chris Kise, 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 exchange of emails included in the court file and consulted by AFP.
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After a number of back and forths since January 4 on the advisability and conditions of such an exceptional request, Judge Engoron issued a sharp dismissal on Wednesday.
The day before, the lawyer had requested the postponement of the argument until January 29, arguing that the mother of Donald Trump’s wife had just “passed away” and that his client “was very close to her”.
Request rejected by Judge Engoron who then sets this Wednesday noon an ultimatum for Donald Trump to accept all these conditions: “It’s take it or leave it. It’s now or never. You have until noon, in seven minutes. I WILL NOT GRANT ANY ADDITIONAL DELAY.”
A quarter of an hour later, the judge decided in a new email: “He will not speak in court tomorrow,” Thursday.
Since the start of the trial on October 2, the 77-year-old businessman has railed against justice each time he comes to court, in the courtroom or in the corridors, denouncing a “witch hunt” or a “trial worthy of banana republics. After attacks on his clerk, Judge Engoron banned him from speaking about his team and imposed two fines totaling $15,000 for violating the order.