A civil lawsuit against the former US president has been running since October: Trump is said to have manipulated his company’s assets for years. He actually wanted to testify about this again in court – but now he’s decided not to.
Former US President Donald Trump does not want to testify again in person in the ongoing fraud trial against him in New York. Trump wrote in his online network Truth Social that he had “nothing more to say” about the proceedings. He has already testified “very successfully and conclusively” in the case and will therefore not appear in court today.
Trump was expected to appear as a defense witness in the final phase of the trial, which has been ongoing since early October. The civil case is about the future of the 77-year-old’s corporate empire. The public prosecutor’s office accuses Trump, his sons and employees of manipulating the value of the Trump Organization for years in order to get cheaper loans and insurance contracts.
Prosecutor demands high fine
The Republican Trump is not threatened with a prison sentence or a direct impact on his presidential candidacy, but a conviction could cause him great business damage. The Attorney General of the State of New York, Letitia James, wants to ensure that Trump has to pay 250 million US dollars (around 234 million euros) and is no longer allowed to do business in New York.
Trump testified in a heated and sometimes chaotic meeting in November and repeatedly emphasized that the value of his real estate was underestimated, not inflated. However, he also freely admitted that he had influenced financial reports and sometimes contradicted himself. His children Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka were also questioned by the public prosecutor’s office in the proceedings.
Judge: “That’s not it election campaign event”
The former president wants to be re-elected in 2024. He is the most promising candidate for the Republican nomination. According to many observers, he is using the process as election advertising. Just over a month ago, Trump clashed with Judge Arthur Engoron in the courtroom. “This is not a campaign event,” said Engoron to the Republican. “Please just answer questions, no talking.” The ex-president, in turn, spoke of a “very unfair” and “crazy” process.
The trial in New York is one of several against Trump: In addition to the civil case, he has been charged in four criminal cases. Two indictments concern the Republican’s attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and thus stay in power.
