Trump lawyer says NY attorney general has no fraud case

NEW YORK, Sept 22 (Reuters) – A lawyer for Donald Trump on Friday accused New York Attorney General Letitia James of ignoring “everything” as she pursues a civil lawsuit alleging that the previous president ran a scientific fraud at his circle of relatives industry.

Christopher Kise, Trump’s lawyer, made the accusation at a listening to in a New York state court docket, simply 10 days sooner than the scheduled Oct. 2 trial.

Justice Arthur Engoron is thinking about arguments by way of Trump, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization that the case must be thrown out as a result of there was once no fraud, no one was once harmed, and the claims are too previous.

James, by contrast, needs a ruling even sooner than the trial begins that the defendants are accountable for fraud.

Engoron plans to rule on Sept. 26 on all sides’ motions, and prompt that larger ideas are at stake.

“We’re talking about fairness and honesty in the marketplace,” he mentioned on the listening to, which lasted just about 5 hours. “The fact that nobody was hurt doesn’t mean the case gets dismissed.”

James needs a minimum of $250 million in consequences, and to bar Trump and his grownup sons from working companies in New York.

Trump holds a large lead within the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, in spite of additionally going through 4 felony indictments the place he has pleaded now not responsible.

He has denied all wrongdoing, and branded the instances a Democrat “witch hunt” towards him.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

James accused Trump of mendacity in monetary statements between 2011 and 2021 to acquire higher phrases on loans and insurance coverage, defrauding banks and insurers.

She mentioned the lies incorporated overvaluing houses together with his Mar-a-Lago membership in Florida and Trump Tower penthouse in Manhattan, and inflating his fortune by way of up to $3.6 billion.

Kise mentioned the proof was once now not there, that James’ opposite statements didn’t make it so, and that valuation disputes have been immaterial.

“The foundation of the case is to ignore everything,” Kise mentioned. “The case comes down to prosecuting the defendants for engaging in successful business transactions.”

James maintains that Trump knew his valuations have been false.

This allegedly incorporated valuing Mar-a-Lago at $739 million by way of pretending it was once unrestricted assets despite the fact that Trump had given up rights to expand it rather than as a membership, and reporting that the penthouse was once just about triple its precise dimension.

“In (the) defendants’ world, there’s no objective truth,” mentioned Andrew Amer, a lawyer from James’ place of business. “Defendants have clearly stepped through the looking glass.”

LAWSUIT AGAINST JUDGE

In June, a state appeals court docket in Manhattan disregarded claims towards Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and more than a few different claims predating July 2014 or February 2016 as a result of statutes of barriers.

The court docket left it to Engoron to resolve which portions of the case may just continue. Engoron can even rule on James’ request to sanction the defendants for many times elevating “frivolous” arguments he had already rejected.

At Friday’s listening to, the pass judgement on gave the impression upset when Kise prompt that banks may now not have trusted Trump’s valuations when making loans.

“You cannot make false statements and use them in business,” Engoron mentioned, banging his fist.

Last week, Trump sued Engoron, accusing him of taking too lengthy to slender the case.

The lawsuit sought to extend the trial, to permit the defendants to organize correctly after Engoron comes to a decision which claims the attorney general can pursue.

Defense attorneys have additionally accused James of ignoring the June appeals court docket determination.

The appeals court docket is predicted to make a decision subsequent week whether or not the trial must continue as scheduled.

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