Eric Trump to take the stand in non-jury civil trial against Trump Organization stemming from NYAG lawsuit
Eric Trump is expected to take the stand Thursday in the non-jury civil trial stemming from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against the Trump family and Trump Organization.
Eric Trump is expected to take the stand Thursday in the non-jury civil trial stemming from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against the Trump family and Trump Organization.
The former president’s son is an executive vice president at the Trump Organization. Eric Trump has oversight over the company’s operations, while his brother, Donald Trump Jr., has been involved in running the company’s property development.
Eric Trump’s expected testimony is scheduled for a day after his brother, Donald Trump Jr., another executive vice president at the company, took the stand.
Donald Trump Jr. testified Wednesday that he does not have professional training with generally accepted accounting principles and instead relied on accountants with regard to financial statements at the Trump Organization.
DONALD TRUMP JR. TAKES THE STAND IN CIVIL TRIAL STEMMING FROM NEW YORK AG LAWSUIT
The lawsuit centers on whether the former president and his business misled banks and insurers by inflating his net worth in financial statements.
Donald Trump Jr. also testified that he reported to former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg for a short time and later reported to his father until he became President of the United States.
The former president's son said his father did not make any business decisions while he was in the White House.
Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump was dismissed as a defendant from the case over the summer after a decision by a New York Appeals Court, but she was scheduled to appear for testimony Friday. Her attorneys on Wednesday, however, filed a notice of appeal to the decision requiring her to testify at her father’s civil fraud trial.
Former President Trump, Don Jr. and Eric Trump are all still listed as defendants.
The former president is expected to take the stand Monday.
JUDGE DENIES TRUMP TEAM'S REQUESTS FOR IMMEDIATE VERDICT IN FRAUD TRIAL AFTER COHEN TESTIMONY
The trial comes after James, a Democrat, brought a lawsuit against Trump last year alleging he and his company misled banks and others about the value of his assets. James claimed Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric, as well as his associates and businesses, committed "numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation" on their financial statements.
The appellate ruling from over the summer, which dismissed Ivanka Trump as a defendant, also prevented James from suing for alleged transactions that occurred before July 13, 2014, or Feb. 6, 2016, depending on the defendant.
Trump has blasted James for bringing the lawsuit, for the trial not having a jury and Judge Arthur Engoron, presiding over the trial, calling him "corrupt."
"The attorney general filed this case under a consumer protection statute that denies the right to a jury," a Trump spokesperson said. "There was never an option to choose a jury trial. It is unfortunate that a jury won’t be able to hear how absurd the merits of this case are and conclude no wrongdoing ever happened."
Engoron last month ruled that Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud while building his real estate empire by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.
Engoron’s ruling came after James sued Trump, his children and the Trump Organization, alleging that the former president "inflated his net worth by billions of dollars" and said his children helped him to do so.
Fox News' Maria Paronich and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
