AG James: Trump Trial Goes On; Lawyer: What's the Point Now?

Former President Donald Trump's lead defense lawyer in the $250 million civil case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James is asking what the point of a trial is after Tuesday's ruling.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but what in the court's mind does this trial look like?" attorney Christopher Kise asked Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron on Wednesday, The Messenger reported.

The trial was set to begin Monday, but after Engoron's judgment Tuesday, Wise is asking what is the point of even having a trial now, according to the report.

Engoron issued a 35-page ruling Tuesday that Trump committed fraud in overvaluing his businesses in order to receive loans on assets he valued at lower levels for tax purposes. The order removes some of Trump's companies from his control and dissolves them in the state.

Despite the stinging ruling, James told Engoron Wednesday that she will continue to move forward with the trial on six counts against the former president, according to The Messenger.

Engoron ordered that some of Trump’s business licenses be rescinded as punishment, making it difficult or impossible for them to do business in New York, and said an independent monitor would continue to oversee Trump Organization operations.

If not successfully appealed, the order will strip Trump of his authority to make strategic and financial decisions over some of his key properties in New York.

Trump railed on Engoron and James in a series of pointed posts on Truth Social on Wednesday:

I have a Deranged, Trump Hating Judge, who RAILROADED this FAKE CASE through a NYS Court at a speed never seen before, refusing to let it go to the Commercial Division, where it belongs, denying me everything, No Trial, No Jury. He made up this crazy “KILL TRUMP” decision, assigning insanely low values to properties, despite overwhelming evidence. AS AN EXAMPLE, HE VALUES THE MOST SPECTACULAR PROPERTY IN PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, MAR-A-LAGO, AT $18,000,000, WHEN IT IS WORTH POSSIBLY 100 TIMES THAT AMOUNT. His anger & hatred is politically motivated & unprecedented by those who watched! My actual Net Worth is MUCH GREATER than the number shown on the Financial Statements, a BIG SURPRISE to him & the Racist A.G., Letitia James, who campaigned for office on a get Trump Platform. While murderers roam the sidewalks of New York, my banks are happy, all loans are current, or paid off in full, sometimes early, with no defaults or problems of any kind. There is also an IRONCLAD DISCLAIMER CLAUSE!

Trump continued in a later Truth Social post:

In addition to the fact that my Net Worth is much greater than the number shown in the Financial Statements, there is a POWERFUL Disclaimer Clause (some call it a “non-reliance clause,” others a “buyer beware clause”), BOLDLY STATED on pages 1 & 2, explaining that there should be no reliance placed on these Financial Statements, but instead everyone should do their own independent research, analysis, and due diligence. This was fully accepted & acknowledged by the banks, but it didn’t matter because all loans were good, & there were no defaults or problems of any kind. The banks were represented by highly sophisticated attorneys, were paid full interest, & made money. There were no defaults or any other problems. This is a lawsuit that should never have been brought. It is a POLITICALLY MOTIVATED WITCH HUNT by a Racist Attorney General, and a Deranged, Trump Hating Judge. It is ELECTION INTERFERENCE at a level never seen before. No wonder people and companies are fleeing New York!

And he concluded in a third post:

WE NEED JUSTICE IN OUR COUNTRY! This political hack judge, who values, Mar-a-Lago, the most spectacular parcel of real estate in Palm Beach, and perhaps all of Florida, at $18 million in order to reduce valuations on my financial statements, which are, in fact, lower than my actual net worth, must be stopped. I have had very unfair judges since entering politics, but nobody has been as unhinged as this guy. Mar-a-Lago is worth, perhaps, 100 times more than he values it. Other properties are likewise worth substantially more. I am worth billions more than my very conservatively stated financial statements, and therefore could not have defrauded the banks, who all made money & were all paid back, or are current, with no defaults or any other problem. Additionally, there is a powerful Disclaimer Clause on the first pages of the Financial Statements. It states that nothing in the Financial Statements should be accepted as fact!

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.