Donald Trump Sr., 77, overvalued his assets and exaggerated his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing loans, Judge Arthur F. Engoron, 74, ruled in a civil lawsuit brought by Letitia James, 64. The 45th president of the United States is accused of committing the crime while building a real estate empire.
Trump is a Republican. Both Engoron and James are Democrats.
Donald Trump
Born at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York City, New York, USA, Trump joined E. Trump & Son in 1968. The real estate business was founded by his paternal grandmother and his father in 1927.
When Trump became the president of E. Trump & Son in 1971, he started using the Trump Organization as an umbrella brand. In 1999, the organization started building and buying golf courses.
In 1985, Trump acquired the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, USA, which he declared his primary residence in 2019. From January 20, 2017 to January 20, 2021, he served as the 45th U.S. president.
Letitia James
Born in Brooklyn, New York City, James earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from the City University of New York’s Lehman College in New York City in 1981. She earned her Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., USA in 1987.
From January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2013, James was a member of the New York City Council from the 35th district. After assuming office as the 67th attorney general of New York on January 1, 2019, she started investigating the Trump Organization for potential financial fraud in a civil capacity.
In September 2022, James filed a civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization, Trump and his sons Donald John Trump Jr. and Eric Frederick Trump. The company falsely inflated and deflated the value of its assets to seek lower taxes and better insurance coverage, according to the lawsuit.
Arthur Engoron
Engoron earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in New York City and his Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law in New York City. From 1991 to 2002, he was a principal law clerk for a state supreme court justice.
From 2003 to 2015, Engoron served as a judge on the New York City Civil Court and from 2013 to 2015, he was an acting justice of the Supreme Court 1st Judicial District. On November 3, 2015, he ran unopposed and became a judge of the Supreme Court 1st Judicial District in New York.
On September 26, 2023, Engoron’s 35-page ruling rejected Donald Sr.’s effort to toss the civil case filed by James against Donald Sr., his two sons and the Trump Organization. After finding that Donald Sr. and his company deceived banks, insurers and others, the judge ordered that some of Donald Sr.’s business licenses be rescinded.
James requested to sanction five of Donald Sr.’s lawyers for bringing up in court arguments that were already dismissed. Engoron granted the request and ordered the lawyers to pay a $7,500 fine each.
CONAN Daily 