Former President Donald Trump has won a temporary reprieve in his ongoing civil fraud lawsuit, as a New York court has granted a delay in the revocation of his business licenses within the state.
This development follows Trump’s recent appeal to halt the trial, which commenced this week in New York. The trial, notably without a jury but featuring Trump himself in attendance, began after a surprising ruling by Judge Arthur Engoron in late September. The ruling found instances of repeated fraud committed by the Trump Organization, resulting in an order to cancel the business licenses of Trump and his two adult sons, Don Jr. and Eric.
In a decision issued by a New York appeals court on Friday, Judge Peter Moulton declined to suspend the trial but did grant a temporary stay on the “order directing the cancellation of business certificates.”
This ruling signifies a short-term victory for the former president, who had been facing the prospect of a partial dismantling of his real estate empire following Judge Engoron’s September decision.
During Friday’s court proceedings, lawyers representing Trump and attorneys from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office, who are pursuing a $250 million judgment against Trump for alleged fraudulent business filings, presented their arguments. Trump’s lawyer, Christopher Kise, argued that dissolution would result in chaos, stating, “This is everything owned or controlled by the defendant. Once you dissolve, you dissolve.”
James’ representative, Judy Vale, countered this argument, asserting that there was no basis for an interim stay in a trial that had already been underway for a week.
Throughout the week, Trump spent nearly three days both in the courtroom and in the hallways of the Manhattan court, engaging with the press.
In response to Trump’s courtroom presence, James characterized it as a political stunt and fundraising stop. Trump, in turn, labeled the African American attorney general, a Democrat, as “corrupt” and “racist.”
As the trial is scheduled to resume next week, James expressed confidence that “justice will prevail” in the case. Although this lawsuit is civil in nature, Trump faces multiple other significant legal challenges in various jurisdictions, including criminal charges, all of which he has vehemently denied and pleaded not guilty to.
