Trump complains that the trial is interfering with his campaign

Former US President Donald Trump (2017-2021) returned to the New York court on Tuesday where he is on trial for defrauding the Trump Organization and repeated his complaints that it was unfair and hindering his presidential aspirations.

The businessman’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who today is one of his biggest enemies, was supposed to testify, but he postponed his statement due to health problems, so the content of the session was usual: analysis of figures, tables or emails.

According to local media, the company’s accountant, who said former finance chief Allen Weisselberg urged her to omit figures from the property report to inflate its value, and a former real estate executive, who pointed out discrepancies between the estimates, testified, according to local media. did those companies too.

These assessments are at the heart of this civil case: Prosecutors indict Trumptwo sons and two executives of the Trump Organization have been inflating the value of their assets for years in order to get favorable terms with banks and insurers, and are therefore seeking $250 million in damages.

Trump went to court for the fourth time after attending the first three days of the trial – which began on October 2 – and decided to stay despite Cohen’s withdrawal, using the opportunity to complain to the media that the trial was interfering with his plans to return to the White House. .

Prosecutor Letitia James, whom Trump called “incompetent,” also addressed the media to double down on her arguments: that the former president’s real estate empire was built “on lies” and that she is confident he will win the trial, something that is not in the hands of a jury. , already a judge.

The prosecution had already scored its first victory before the start of the trial, when Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump and the other defendants were responsible for continuing the fraud at the Trump Organization and issued an order revoking their business licenses, which They tried to prevent it by claiming that it was not clear enough.

Unlike his previous visit, in which he attacked Judge Engoron, and from whom he received a “shutdown order” that prevented him from commenting on court personnel, Trump said he respected the judge, but clarified that the Democratic Party “”He solves like pinball”.

Trump also criticized another “gag” order imposed on him by a judge in another case, one for trying to overturn the 2020 election and promoting an attack on the Capitol, which prohibits him from attacking or insulting prosecutors, court staff and witnesses to prevent their ongoing statements interfere in that process.

Trump is expected to attend this Wednesday to a civil fraud trial in New Yorkk, which will last until the end of December, and later he will sit on the witness stand.