Former President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is the one who should receive damages in a New York civil fraud case because he is being politically persecuted, blowing past limits set by the trial judge who allowed the ex-president to vent for 6 minutes during closing arguments.
Mr. Trump told the Manhattan courtroom that he was targeted by Democratic state Attorney General Letitia James, and was denied a fair trial because it will be decided by Judge Arthur Engoron and not by a jury.
“This is a fraud on me. What’s happened here, sir, is a fraud on me,” Mr. Trump said.
“We have a situation where I am an innocent man,” Mr. Trump said despite the judge’s admonishment to avoid politics. “I’m being persecuted by someone running for office.”
Ms. James alleges that Mr. Trump, his elder sons and their real estate company submitted fraudulent financial statements to gain favorable terms on loans and insurance. She seeks $370 million in damages and wants to prohibit the Trumps from doing business in New York.
Mr. Trump says he followed standard real estate practices and that banks were happy to lend to him. He also said his statements had a disclaimer on them.
At one point, he accused the judge of not listening to him: “I know this is boring to you.”
After about 6 minutes, Judge Engoron — who had denied Mr. Trump permission earlier to give a closing statement at the trial — cut him off and recessed for lunch.
Closing arguments are capping an 11-week trial that featured constant sniping between Mr. Trump and Ms. James. For months, Mr. Trump has lashed out at Judge Engoron and his court clerk on social media, labeling them biased and prompting a gag order from the court.
Police and bomb squad personnel responded to the judge’s residence in Nassau County, New York, though it appeared to be swatting, in which a false report was made to draw an emergency response.
The court enhanced its security measures around Judge Engoron ahead of summations out of “an abundance of caution,” said New York court spokesman Al Baker.
“We condemn any form of threats or violence against judges, against any group, against anyone,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at her daily briefing in Washington.
Attorney Christopher Kise delivered most of the defense summation.
“Forty-four days of trial — not one witness came into this courtroom, your honor, and said there was fraud,” Mr. Kise said.
“This entire case is a manufactured claim to pursue a political agenda. It has been press releases and posturing, but no evidence.”
Mr. Trump is the leading candidate for the Republican nomination for president. He’s splitting his time between the campaign trail and courthouses up and down the East Coast before the Iowa caucuses kick off primary season Monday.
Mr. Trump faces long odds against Judge Engoron. Before the trial, the judge found some fraud occurred, handing Ms. James an early victory on one of her claims before the trial on remaining claims and potential damages.
The judge has said parts of Mr. Trump‘s submissions to lenders were blatantly false and couldn’t be chalked up to the nuances of real estate.
In their closing remarks Thursday afternoon, lawyers representing New York state said that Mr. Trump and his attorneys had relied on false statements and irrelevant expert testimony to make their case.
“What we have not heard from defendants are any new facts,” state lawyer Kevin Wallace said in his summation, arguing that Mr. Trump’s financial statements were false and “each defendant was acting knowingly and intentionally” to inflate the numbers.
Mr. Kise acknowledged that some holdings may have been listed “higher by immaterial” amounts, but he added, “there’s plenty of assets that were undervalued by substantial sums.”
He also praised Mr. Trump as “part of the fabric of the commercial real estate industry” for a half-century, pointed to Mr. Trump’s testimony that he intended lenders to do their own research and vetting after receiving his financial statements.
• This report is based in part on wire reports.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.