New York Judge Finds Trump Liable for Fraud

SEP 27 2023·Updated AUG 27

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The Facts

Judge Arthur Engoron, presiding over a civil lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruled on Tuesday that former Pres. Donald Trump and his firm misled banks and insurers by overvaluing his assets on loan documents.
The Associated Press
Engoron ordered that some of Trump’s business licenses be revoked. This renders operations in New York very challenging or impossible; an independent monitor will continue to supervise the Trump Organization.
FOX News
Engoron said that Trump, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, the Trump Organization, and others participated in the fabricationsTrump's net worth to suit their business needs.
Reuters
Trump slammed the judge's decision, saying that he had "done business perfectly" and the authorities should prioritize crime over his business activities. Trump also said that "this is the Judicial conduct that is forcing thousands of companies to flee New York for other environs, while virtually nobody comes back to the City or State."
Daily Mail
Trump's legal team said they planned the appeal the ruling. Trump had already attempted to get the court to dismiss the fraud allegations and other claims but this was denied in Tuesday.
New York Post
The ruling resolved the key claim of fraud made in the lawsuit, with the trial now being focused on six remaining claims and determining the size of any potential penalty. The trial is scheduled for Oct. 2, with James seeking $250M in penalties and a ban on Trump conducting business activity in New York.
BBC News

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The Spin

Democratic narrative

With all the indictments Trump is facing, it’s easy to forget he’s also facing this civil fraud case in which the evidence against him is overwhelming. Trump’s fraud was blatant, and when he finally stopped invoking the Fifth Amendment and actually tried to make his case, he could barely make a coherent argument in his own defense. Now, the real question is how much will Trump have to pay for his fraudulent behavior.

nytimes

Pro-Trump narrative

James’s case, which was presided over by a Democrat, is the flimsiest part of the Democrats’ witch hunt against the former president in their attempts to stop him from winning the GOP nomination for 2024. No one was injured by this so-called "fraud," and Trump had little to no involvement in his companies' financial statements anyway. A civil case is just an excuse for James to up her political profile.