Former US president Donald Trump said he will appear in a New York court on Monday at the beginning of a civil fraud trial in which he will face an accusation that he fraudulently inflated the value of properties and other assets.
Trump called the accusation a “Sham.”
On his Truth Social account on Sunday Trump said, “I’m going to Court tomorrow morning to fight for my name and reputation.”
In his post, Trump criticized New York State Attorney General Letitia James and the judge in the case, who Trump called “unfair, unhinged, and vicious in his pursuit of me”.
In last week’s decision, Arthur Engoron, New York state Judge, discovered that Trump and his family business fraudulently inflated the value of his other assets, especially properties so the move could suit their business requirements.
Along with other defendants, Trump has claimed that they never committed fraud.
In referring to the judge and the case, Trump said in his post, “He values Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, at 18 Million Dollars, when it is worth 50 to 100 times that amount. His valuations are FRAUDULENT in pursuit of Election Interference, and worse. THIS WHOLE CASE IS SHAM!!! See you in Court – Monday morning.”
Last year in September, Trump was sued by state attorney James, who accused him, his adult sons, the Trump Organization, and others of “staggering fraud” in how they valued other assets and properties.
James is demanding at least $250 million in penalties, a ban on Trump and his sons, Eric and Donald Jr., from running businesses in New York, and a five-year commercial real estate ban against the Trump Organization and Donald Trump.
The case is not related to the four other criminal indictments that Trump faces, including for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
