Eric Trump testified Thursday he was never involved with financial statements for the Trump Organization, echoing older brother and co-Executive Vice President Donald Trump Jr.’s testimony from earlier this week.
Both sons of former President Trump took the stand to testify in the non-jury civil trial stemming from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against Trump’s family and his businesses.
Eric Trump is expected to return to the stand for testimony Friday.
Eric Trump said Thursday he had “no involvement and never worked on my father’s statement of financial condition.”
Eric Trump arrives at New York Supreme Court Oct. 2, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Donald Trump Jr. testified Wednesday he also had no involvement in financial statements, was not professionally trained on generally accepted accounting principles and relied on accountants with regard to financial statements for the Trump Organization.
Both Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are listed as defendants in James’ suit, along with their father, the 2024 GOP presidential frontrunner.
Ivanka Trump was dismissed as a defendant from the case over the summer after a decision by a New York Appeals Court, but she was scheduled to appear for testimony. Her attorneys on Wednesday, though, filed a notice of appeal to the decision requiring her to testify at her father’s civil fraud trial. The status of that appeal is pending.
The former president is expected to testify Monday.
The lawsuit centers on whether the former president and his business misled banks and insurers by inflating his net worth on financial statements. James claims the Trump children helped their father do so.
Trump Tower building in Manhattan (Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)
As his son Eric testified on the stand Thursday, Trump posted on his Truth Social account, blasting New York Judge Arthur Engoron and James, while defending his children.
“When Judge Arthur Engoron, one of the most overturned, on Appeal, Judges on the ‘bench,’ stated that a Billion Dollar House is only worth 18 Million Dollars, & made numerous other mistakes, as well, he is the ‘Fraudster,;’ not me,” Trump posted.
DONALD TRUMP JR. TAKES THE STAND IN CIVIL TRIAL STEMMING FROM NEW YORK AG LAWSUIT
“He is just doing this out of his personal ‘Hatred of TRUMP,’ his love of the publicity that this case is getting him, & his lack of respect for the Appeals Court (He is in total violation of their order ending much of this Witch Hunt right now. He refuses to do what they say he must!),” he continued.
“Engoron is a wacko who is having a great time endlessly sanctioning, fining, & pushing around ‘TRUMP,’ hurting my very good children, & working to damage & defame me for purposes of Interfering with the 2024 Presidential Election, all this while never admonishing our failed & corrupt Attorney General, whose ‘Star Witness’ admitted he lied, & that I did NOT tell him to inflate values, a total reversal,” Trump wrote. “Their whole case was based on this single LOSER, so it should be dismissed!”
Donald Trump Jr. steps out for a break at former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Trump posted the comments during son Eric Trump’s testimony, and a day after his eldest son Donald Trump Jr. took the stand to defend their business.
JUDGE DENIES TRUMP TEAM’S REQUESTS FOR IMMEDIATE VERDICT IN FRAUD TRIAL AFTER COHEN TESTIMONY
“So sad to see my sons being PERSECUTED in a political Witch Hunt by this out of control, publicity seeking, New York State Judge, on a case that should have NEVER been brought,” Trump said. “Legal Scholars Scream Disgrace!”
Again, Trump maintained that his worth is “far greater than on financial statements, plus they contain a full DISCLAIMER CLAUSE telling readers of this information to do their own due diligence and analysis.”
President Donald Trump and daughter/senior adviser Ivanka Trump make their way to board Air Force One before departing from Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Ga., Jan. 4, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
“Banks and Insurance Companies made money, not even a minor default, and there were NO VICTIMS, except for the people getting mugged and murdered on the sidewalks of New York while our Corrupt Attorney General sits on her ass in Court all day watching the Trump family be abused by a Trump Hating Judge that said a Billion Dollar house is only worth $18,000,000 Million Dollars!!!” Trump posted.
The “star witness” Trump referred to is his former attorney, Michael Cohen, who testified as part of the civil trial last week. After Cohen testified that Trump did not specifically direct him to inflate assets, Trump’s legal team demanded an immediate verdict and case dismissal, but Engoron rejected their effort. Trump, in another post, again said Cohen “admitted on the stand that he lied.”
Former President Donald Trump, left, and New York Judge Arthur Engoron (Fox News)
Engoron imposed a partial gag order in the trial, blocking all parties from making derogatory statements about his court staff.
NEW YORK JUDGE FINES TRUMP $10K FOR VIOLATING PARTIAL GAG ORDER IN CIVIL FRAUD TRIAL
Engoron first fined Trump $5,000 for violating the order on social media and threatened imprisonment if further violations were committed.
Last week, Engoron fined Trump another $10,000, claiming he was again in violation of the order by making a comment about a member of his staff.
It is unclear if Engoron will view this Truth Social post as a violation of the gag order.
New York Attorney General Letitia James arrives outside New York Supreme Court ahead of former President Donald Trump’s civil business fraud trial Oct. 2, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)
The trial comes after James, a Democrat, sued Trump last year, alleging he and his company misled banks and others about the value of his assets. James claimed Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric, as well as his associates and businesses, committed “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” on their financial statements.
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Engoron in September ruled that Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud while building his real estate empire by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.
Engoron’s ruling came after James sued Trump, his children and the Trump Organization, alleging that the former president “inflated his net worth by billions of dollars” and said his children helped him to do so.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich and The Associated Press contributed to this report.