McALLEN, Texas | It's legal high-wire time for the troubled Donald Trump family. Court trials are never a good place for siblings to trade testimony, but it begins today in Trump's $250 million fraud trial in New York.
First up on the stand is Donald, Jr.
That is to be followed tomorrow by brother Eric. Daughter Ivanka had been scheduled for this Friday but will now testify next week. She is shown in photo above.
Dad will take the stand on Monday.
At issue in the case before no-nonsense Judge Arthur Engoron is how much Trump will have to pay the Empire State for his crooked dealings. The Trump Organization was found guilty of defrauding New York earlier by the same judge. This is the penalty phase.
From newsweek.com: [ New York Attorney General Letitia James will be searching for any inconsistencies in evidence between the Trump children in the $250 million fraud case being taken against the Trump Organization, a federal attorney has said.
The lawsuit accuses the former president and other defendants, including his companies and his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, of fraudulently inflating the value of assets to obtain favorable loans and insurance deals. Trump and his children have denied any wrongdoing in the case.
Donald Trump Jr. will be the first of the Trump siblings to give evidence on Wednesday, followed by Eric Trump on Thursday, Donald Trump on Monday and Ivanka Trump on the following Wednesday.
Pundits are at odds over how the Trump siblings will come across, some saying there will be plenty of "I do not recall(s)" in the testimony. Daddy Trump has criticized the subpoenas, claiming the entire mess is a continuation of the "witch hunt" he associates with everything the government throws at him.
We'll see.
Trial testimony tends to go smoothly or off the rails.
All three - Ivanka, Don Jr and Eric - Trumps worked high-level positions for the company, all had access to its doings, and all benefitted from its business dealings.
Penalty amounts listed in recent news reports have it that the Trump Organization could be fined some $250 million, although that amount is subject to being increased by Judge Engoron...
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Must-see TV!
ReplyDeleteThe ship is going down. And rightly so!
ReplyDeleteThe prosecution already has hours and hours of their deposed testimony. It will still be great fun to watch them on the stand, under oath, dissemble, prevaricate, and refuse to answer. Bad for Combover Don, good for New York State and America.
ReplyDeleteEcho that.
DeleteHis children are adults at least physically, and they were involved with running this company. If Trump didnt want his kids involved in fraud, he shouldnt have committed fraud in the process of running the company.
ReplyDeleteChildren? Ivanka is 41! Boys are full-grown adults! Gimme a break.
ReplyDelete