‘The Worst Day for Donald’: New York Attorney General Letitia James Found ‘Smoking Gun’ in Trump Fraud Case, Attorney Says.
The New York Attorney General, Letitia James , has been given a significant piece of evidence in the civil fraud case against Donald Trump , according to an attorney involved in the trial.
Jeffrey McConney , the former corporate controller of the Trump Organization , testified on Tuesday, November 21, contradicting previous testimony by stating that it was his understanding that Trump reviewed financial statements before they were finalized.
This contradicts Trump’s previous claim that he had little involvement in preparing the annual net-worth statements .
“This was probably the worst day for Donald in the New York City fraud case,” attorney Joe Gallina said during an interview with Mary Trump , the former president’s estranged niece. “This was very simply the smoking gun Attorney General Letitia James was looking for.”
James filed a lawsuit against Trump and executives at his company, including his adult sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump , alleging that they inflated Trump’s net worth on his financial statements in order to secure favorable loans and insurance.
Judge Arthur Engoron , who presides over the case, has already ruled in September that Trump and other defendants engaged in fraud. The trial now aims to address remaining claims of conspiracy , insurance fraud and falsifying business records , and determine the amount of damages the organization should pay.
In the ongoing trial, lawyers for James’ office presented McConney with a draft of Trump’s net worth statement for 2014. This document had a note in blue ink on the first page that said, “DJT TO GET FINAL REVIEW,” and allegedly exaggerated Trump’s net worth by $3.5 billion.
This evidence supports James’ claim that Trump and his executives manipulated the financial statements to deceive lenders and insurers.
Trump denied having knowledge of who added the note to the draft during a pretrial deposition and previously stated he had little involvement in the preparation of the annual net-worth statements. However, the handwritten note on the document suggests otherwise and could be regarded as a significant contradiction.
The draft documents with the handwritten notes were obtained by James’ office from the accountancy firm, Mazars , and not from the Trump Organization itself. This could potentially harm Trump’s defense if Judge Engoron rules the former president purposely failed to include these documents as required by state subpoenas.
It is possible that James’ office may file a spoilage motion, indicating that they believe the Trump Organization deliberately withheld or failed to retain crucial information.
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The outcome of this case has significant implications for Donald Trump and his reputation.
If found guilty of fraud, the former president may face both criminal and financial repercussions, such as losing his business license in the state of New York. Additionally, the trial could shed light on the inner workings of the Trump Organization and raise questions about the level of involvement and knowledge that Trump had in the preparation of the financial statements.
