A New York judge on Tuesday found former President Trump liable for fraud, handing a major legal victory to New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) in her sprawling civil case over Trump’s businesses.
New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron granted James’s request to find Trump liable for the first of seven causes of action she has accused him of in the lawsuit.
Engoron simultaneously denied Trump’s demand to toss the entire suit without trying the case. The non-jury trial on the remaining matters is set to begin Monday, barring Trump’s separate, last-minute effort for a delay.
Engoron also granted James’s request to sanction five of Trump’s lawyers for bringing up already-dismissed arguments in court, ordering them to pay a $7,500 fine each.
James’s office is suing Trump, the Trump Organization and two of his adult children — Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.— claiming more than a decade of fraud. The lawsuit alleges Trump’s company sought lower taxes and better insurance coverage by falsely inflating and deflating the value of its assets.
James’s office is seeking some $250 million in financial penalties. It also seeks to bar Trump and his children from serving as officers or directors of New York-registered or licensed corporations.
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