In pictures: Trump in court for civil fraud trial
Updated 2140 GMT (0540 HKT) January 11, 2024
Former President Donald Trump appeared in a New York City courtroom Thursday as his defense team wrapped up closing arguments in the civil fraud trial against him, his two adult sons, the Trump Organization and several company executives.
Trump spoke from the defense table for roughly five minutes, saying the "financial statements are perfect" and calling the case a "witch hunt" before the judge cut him off.
In September, Judge Arthur Engoron found Trump and his co-defendants liable for fraud for grossly inflating asset valuations on financial statements. The ruling was a significant victory for New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought a lawsuit in 2022 alleging that Trump and his co-defendants committed repeated fraud in inflating assets on financial statements to get better terms on commercial real estate loans and insurance policies.
Trump inflated his net worth by as much as $3.6 billion in three separate years between 2011 and 2021, according to the attorney general's office. Attorneys for Trump refuted the claims, arguing that asset valuations are highly subjective and that they are still sorting through what the ruling means for the company's future.
The trial will determine the amount of disgorgement owed. Trump and his companies could be forced to pay hefty sums in damages for the profits they've allegedly garnered through their fraudulent business practices.