What Trump’s children said at his New York civil fraud trial

The main focus on Donald Trump’s myriad of legal woes shifted to Lower Manhattan in October as his civil fraud case came to trial at New York State’s Supreme Court.

A verdict in the case is expected on 16 February. New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $370m in penalties and other sanctions. Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled that Mr Trump inflated his wealth on financial statements given to banks, insurers, and others to sign agreements and get loans.

Ms James brought the case against the Trump Organization and maintains that, between 2011 and 2021, the company falsified financial statements regarding the development of several real estate projects.

This was done by over-stating valuations of the former president’s most prestigious holdings including his triplex penthouse at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and his current home at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

The Trump clan’s entire New York real estate empire was already in peril after a pre-trial ruling included the cancellation of their business licences in the state.

Three of Mr Trump’s adult children took the stand to testify under oath at the trial.

The answer is that Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump were all executives for the family business at the centre of the case.

All three of them were originally named as co-defendants alongside their father, former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, and former company controller Jeff McConney.

Donald Trump Jr (2nd L) and Eric Trump (3rd L) arrive at New York Supreme Court on 2 November 2023, for the fraud trial of the Trump Organization

Both Don Jr and Eric acted on their father’s behalf at the Trump Organization while he was president, running the