A recent ruling by Judge Engoron has put Trump’s family business in jeopardy. The judge found Trump liable for widespread fraud and revoked the licenses for some of his flagship properties, including Trump Tower and the Trump International Hotel. This ruling has paved the way for the trial to focus on the punishments Trump will face, including a potential $250 million penalty and a ban on running businesses in the state. Both Trump and his lawyers, as well as the attorney general’s office, were caught off guard by the ruling and have been scrambling to determine its implications for Trump’s business.
Trump has been actively trying to thwart Engoron for months, including filing a lawsuit accusing the judge of not complying with a previous appeals court decision that limits the scope of the case against him. Engoron has repeatedly denied Trump’s requests to delay the trial and has been curt in his responses, stating that the arguments are “completely without merit.” The trial will address the fraudulent inflation of Trump’s net worth from 2014 to 2021, and the subsequent actions taken with that false information, such as obtaining favorable terms from banks and insurance companies, which could be considered insurance fraud and tax evasion.
Monday marks the start of not only the civil fraud trial against Trump but also the beginning of a series of trials he will face from October through May. These trials include a federal defamation trial in January, a federal class-action lawsuit accusing him of promoting a pyramid scheme, federal criminal trials concerning election interference and mishandling of classified documents, as well as a New York state criminal trial brought by the Manhattan district attorney’s office. While Trump is not required to attend the New York civil trial, the attorney general has indicated that she may call him to testify. Trump did not appear in court for a federal civil trial earlier this year in a separate lawsuit. Overall, the future of Trump’s business hangs in the balance as these trials proceed.