Former President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he will no longer take the witness stand in the bench trial for a civil fraud case against him in New York.
“Financial statements were conservative, liquid, and ‘extraordinary,'” he stated. “The only fraud committed was by the highly partisan and out of control judge and racist AG.”
Last year, New York Attorney General Letitia James sued President Trump and other Trump Organization executives on seven claims related to fraud.
Since Nov. 13, the defense has been presenting its case, relying heavily on outside experts to refute the accusation of fraud, despite the fact that New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron had already issued a pretrial ruling finding President Trump liable for fraud. The trial is meant to deal with the penalties that he will need to pay, as well as state attorneys proving intent and materiality.
President Trump was meant to testify again on Monday, closing out the defense. Instead, the last expert witness in the case, NYU accounting professor Eli Bartov, will continue to testify through Tuesday.
“I have already testified to everything and have nothing more to say other than that this is a complete a total election interference (Biden Campaign!) witch hunt, that will do nothing but keep businesses out of New York, I will not be testifying on Monday,” he wrote.
Defense attorneys are expected to be mounting appeal efforts; an appellate court has already paused one of the penalties issued by Justice Engoron pending appeal—the dissolution of Trump Organization—and the Trump legal team has begun an Article 78 proceeding accusing the judge of unlawful behavior.
President Trump had already testified in November, giving lengthy, narrative answers about his properties and dealmaking when questioned by state prosecutors.