New York court is set to hear Donald Trump’s appeal of his $489 million civil fraud verdict

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York appeals court is set to hear arguments in Donald Trump’s fight to overturn a civil fraud judgment that could disrupt his real estate empire and cost him close to a half-billion dollars.

The former president and current Republican nominee is asking the state’s intermediate appellate court to nullify a judge’s findings that he deceived banks, insurers and others for years by lying about his wealth on paperwork used to make deals and secure loans. His lawyers contend that Judge Arthur Engoron’s verdict was “egregious” and should be reversed.

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office, which sued Trump on the state’s behalf, argues that Engoron’s decision is backed by “overwhelming evidence.”

Here are some things to know about Thursday’s hearing:

What is this appeal about?

Engoron ruled that Trump padded his net worth by billions of dollars by hugely overvaluing his assets on his annual financial statements. Those assets include golf courses and hotels bearing his name, his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and his Trump Tower penthouse in Manhattan.

The judge issued his verdict after a 2½-month trial that saw testimony from 40 witnesses, including Trump. He decided the case because state law doesn’t allow for juries in this type of lawsuit and neither side asked for one.

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