Donald Trump Jr., son of the former President, was testifying for the defense Monday at the business fraud trial of his father and their real estate company in New York City.
The junior Trump presented a slideshow on Monday that chronicled the Trump Organization’s properties and highlighted many of their luxury features and locales.
Amid his testimony Trump Jr. said he took “umbrage” at New York State Superior Court Judge Arthur Engoron’s determination that Mar-a-Lago, the former President’s country club in Florida, was worth between $18- and $28 million. Trump Jr. pointed out that a nearby, much smaller property has been on sale for $50 million.
During testimony for the prosecution last week, the former President called Engoron a “fraud” for not agreeing with him that Mar-a-Lago was worth more than $1 billion.
Both Trumps’ response was to Engoron’s having mentioned that a decade-old tax assessment had listed Mar-a-Lago’s worth at $18 million.
The first witness for the defense, Trump Jr. was also the first of the former President’s three adult children who’ve been called to testify for the plaintiffs in New York State Supreme Court. His brother, Eric Trump, testified November 2 after the questioning of the eldest Trump child wrapped a second day of testimony. Their sister, Ivanka Trump, testified November 8, after the former President testified two days prior.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James is suing former President Trump, his companies and its officers including Trump’s two adult sons over allegations of more than 200 instances bank, tax and insurance fraud over a 10-year period from 2011 to 2021.
In September Engoron issued a summary judgment in the case, agreeing with James’ allegations that Trump and his company and officers did in fact commit business fraud during the decade in question.
The summary judgment resolved the key claim in James’ lawsuit, but the other claims remain, including the amount of damages that will be levied. The New York Attorney General is suing Trump and the other defendants for $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in his home state.
The trial could last into late December, according to Engoron.
PHOTO: Donald Trump Jr. at CPAC, March 3
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