Testimony is completed in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial
By Lauren del Valle, Kara Scannell and Jeremy Herb, CNN
New York (CNN) — After 11 weeks, testimony in the lengthy civil fraud trial of Donald Trump, his eldest sons and their business has ended – but there won’t be a final verdict for at least another month.
Still to come are oral arguments that will conclude the case, which Judge Arthur Engoron has set for January 11 after the parties submit written briefings. Engoron said he’ll aim to file a written decision on the docket by the end of January.
The judge has already ruled that Trump, his adult sons and their businesses were liable for persistent and repeated fraud in a summary judgment opinion before the trial began, dealing Trump a significant blow before the trial began. He also ordered the dissolution of Trump’s business certificates. Trump has appealed the decision.
He’ll determine how much the Trumps and their company must pay in disgorgement and the fate of their business in New York.
The Attorney General has asked the court to order the Trumps to pay at least $250 million and bar them from conducting business in the state where the former president built his empire.
The attorneys have argued extensively at trial about the intention of the defendants and materiality of the alleged fraud.
Engoron will now rule on six remaining claims related to insurance fraud and falsifying business records and issuing fraudulent financial statements.
Forty-one witnesses testified across those 11 weeks.
The attorney general’s office called a total of 27 witnesses including two rebuttal witnesses. Trump’s lawyers called 19 witnesses – five of whom are current or former Trump Org employees who also testified as witnesses for the AG.
More than half of Trump’s defense witnesses were experts in real estate or accounting.
The former president attended his fraud trial nine days including when he testified in the attorney general’s case.
He ultimately did not testify in his own defense, announcing the change of course the night before he was set to return to the stand this week.
On Wednesday, the final day of the trial, Engoron began the court session by reminiscing on the spectacle of the past 11 weeks.
“In a strange way, I’m gonna miss this trial,” the judge said. “It’s been an experience.”
The-CNN-Wire
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