Trump fraud trial LIVE: Ex-president awaits blockbuster verdict as hush money court date set

Fani Willis accuses prosecution of ‘lying’ in bid to remove her from Trump case

Judge Arthur Engoron is expected to deliver a verdict in Donald Trump’s New York civil fraud trial on Friday that could see the former president hit with millions of dollars in fines and sanctions.

The justice has already ruled that Mr Trump inflated his wealth on financial statements that were given to banks and insurers to make deals and secure favourable loans.

New York attorney general Letitia James is seeking $370m and a ban on the defendant and his fellow Trump Organization executives from doing business in the state.

On Thursday, another Big Apple justice, Judge Juan Merchan, denied Mr Trump’s motion to dismiss the case brought against him by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg for allegedly falsifying business records to conceal a “hush money” payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels, setting a trial date of 25 March.

And in Georgia, Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis took to the witness stand to defend herself and former boyfriend Nathan Wade against a motion arguing they should be disqualified from prosecuting the sprawling racketeering case brought against Mr Trump and others over their alleged effort to interfere in the 2020 election in the Peach State.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner revealed this week that he has no intention of serving in a second administration should his wife’s father beat Joe Biden in November, insisting he is committed to his business ventures instead.

“Nothing in my life has gone according to the plans I’ve set, and that’s been the only consistent thing,” Kushner told an Axios event in Miami, stressing that he’s “very clear” about his preference for focusing on his private equity firm “at