Donald Trump, who is accused along with two of his sons of overstating their real estate for years, is sitting in the dock today in a New York court for a civil trial that the Republican favorite for the 2024 presidential election called “hypocrisy ».

Dressed in a blue suit, electric blue tie, expressionless face, body slightly hunched and with a look of disdain, the billionaire businessman is flanked by his lawyers, Chris Kayes and Alina Haba, facing Judge Arthur Engoron, who will preside over the proceedings. The trial is expected to last weeks.

Just before entering the courtroom, in front of a forest of cameras and microphones, Trump accuses New York State Attorney General Leticia James of ‘racism’, which sued him in this case asking him to pay $250 million. This trial, the first in a series of cases to be heard in the coming months, is a “fraud”, he argued.

Outside the court, a handful of his supporters and an equal number of opponents clashed, with heavy police forces between them.

The civil trial, which begins today with procedural issues, could threaten Trump’s financial empire and especially the family business, the Trump Organization.

Trump

James, an African-American woman who is elected with the Democratic party and whose office corresponds to that of the local attorney general, assured outside the Manhattan courthouse that “justice will prevail” and accused the real estate mogul of “repeated frauds.” and “false statements” for years.

Trump, 77, faces no jail time but the penalties he could face if found guilty could hurt his ability to do business in New York, or he could lose control of many of his company’s assets, including the iconic Trump Tower on Manhattan’s 5th Avenue. These properties are the basis of the charges brought against him by the attorney general: she claims that the area of ​​the former president’s three-story apartment in Trump Tower was tripled and the value of a building on Wall Street was overstated by $200-300 million on his tax returns so that he is approved for bank loans. Leticia James alleges other violations and is seeking a $250 million fine.

For his part, Trump says the loans he received were repaid “in full and with interest” without the banks suffering a loss.

Prosecutor Kevin Wallace, in his opening statement to the court, argued that Trump made more than $1 billion by lying about the value of his wealth to banks and insurance companies. For a decade, the businessman presented his financial data in a “substantially inaccurate manner” in order to secure better loan terms and lower insurance premiums, illegally earning huge sums.

“These are not ordinary things. These are not victimless crimes,” he stressed, responding to Trump’s argument that the banks were not damaged.

It is expected that a lot of technical evidence will be presented at the trial. Also eagerly awaited are the depositions of three of Trump’s children, Eric, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, as well as former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weiselberg, who served prison time after pleading guilty to tax fraud in another case involving the group. Among the witnesses is Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who from a close associate has now turned into his sworn enemy.