NY AG James plans to call Trump, three children to testify in fraud trial

Judge Arthur Engoron on Tuesday sided with James in summary judgement over the core claim in her case, which will proceed to an Oct. 2 trial to address her six remaining points.

By Ben Whedon

Published: September 28, 2023 4:50pm

New York Attorney General Letitia James plans to call former President Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump to testify in an upcoming civil fraud case.

James has alleged that Trump deceived insurers and banks by manipulating the value of his assets to secure favorable terms on loans and insurance premiums. Judge Arthur Engoron on Tuesday sided with James in summary judgement over the core claim in her case, which will proceed to an Oct. 2 trial to address her six remaining points.

Engoron will conduct the non-jury trial, though some of the counts may be dismissed by an appeals court prior to its start due to Trump's arguments that the statute of limitations on them has passed, CNBC reported.

The Trumps are among 28 individuals James listed in a court filing as witnesses. Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg also appeared on James's list. The Trump team, for its part, submitted its own list of 128 witnesses to the court, including Trump, Trump Jr., and Eric.

The Trump Organization was fined $1.6 million in January of this year over a tax fraud scheme in a case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. That case saw Weisselberg plead guilty to tax fraud and agree to testify. He was sentenced to five months in prison at Rikers Island.

The former president has deemed James's case a political hit job and insisted it is part of a broader "witch hunt" designed to derail his 2024 presidential bid.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.