“Is He Just Planting Ammo for His Next Insurrection?”: Lawyers Call Defense Witnesses in Trump’s NY Fraud Trial

Jo ShawNov 16, 2023

Minute Read

Trump’s legal team is preparing to summon defense witnesses in the ongoing New York Fraud trial. Attorney General Letitia James is currently pursuing penalties exceeding $300 million and aims to prohibit Trump from conducting business in the state. Trump’s sons and various company executives are expected to take the stand.

Attorneys Filed a List of 127 Potential Witnesses

According to MSNBC’s legal correspondent Lisa Rubin, who has been on X posting live updates on the trial, Trump’s legal team has submitted a roster of 127 potential witnesses they may consider calling to testify.

Trump Jr. And Eric Are Co-defendants

Image Credit: mark reinstein / Shutterstock.

Co-defendants in the case include Trump Jr. and his brother, Eric Trump, alongside their father, the Trump Organization, and several company executives. Forbes has additionally reported that Allen Weisselberg, the CFO of the Trump Organization, is expected to testify in support of the defense.

Pointing the Finger Won’t Work

Editorial credit: mark reinstein / Shutterstock.

CNN’s legal analyst, Norm Eisen, spoke in a live interview with Jim Acosta. Eisen shared his insights on Trump and his son’s arguments in the ongoing trial and discussed his expectations regarding the defense’s witnesses. He told Acosta, “Pointing their finger at other people, that’s not going to work,”

The Defense Has Been Weak

Eisen also argued Trump and his family’s arguments have been weak so far, stating, “The accountants and lawyers are supposed to get the information from the business people, not vise versa.” Further adding that Team Trump was attempting to use the “legal argument” that “the banks didn’t care.”

They Are Playing for an Appeal

Eisen then stated, “I think they are playing for an appeal. They know they’ve lost the judge.” “Pretty tough on appeal as well,” concluded Eisen.

Trump Jr. To Be First Defense Witness

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.

Donald Trump Jr. is set to be the initial defense witness returning to the stand a few weeks after facing questioning from state lawyers. He arrived at the Supreme Court with his lawyers in the morning and faced chants from protestors, shouting “crime family,” according to ABC News.

Trump’s Son Relied on Accountants

The eldest son of Trump, serving as an executive vice president at the Trump Organization, stated that he was not involved in preparing the annual financial statements central to the lawsuit. He emphasized he was reliant on the company’s finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, and external accountants to ensure accuracy.

Relying on Intimate Knowledge

Trump Jr. previously testified in court, “I had an obligation to listen to the people with intimate knowledge of those things. “ He further added, “If they put something forward, I wasn’t working on the document, but if they tell me that it’s accurate, based on their accounting assessment of all of the materials. … These people had an incredible intimate knowledge, and I relied on it.”

Apparently Guilty of Fraud

Trump Jr. also told reporters at the start of November, “I think it’s a truly scary precedent for New York — for me, for example, before even having a day in court, I’m apparently guilty of fraud for relying on my accountants to do, wait for it: accounting.”

Trump Jr. Will Be Open to Cross-Examination

During Trump Jr.’s testimony, he will face questioning from attorneys representing Trump and the family business. However, it won’t all be plain sailing for Trump Jr. as it exposes him to cross-examining by the state’s legal representatives.

Patrick Burney May Be Called Back to Testify

Image Credit: Dennis Diatel / Shutterstock.

According to Forbes, Jeffrey McConney, a former Trump Organization controller and a defendant in the case, may provide additional testimony. Patrick Birney, who previously testified that Weisselberg informed him of Trump’s desire for his net worth to “go up” on financial statements, is also expected to testify again, this time for the defense.

AG Letitia James Disputing Four Expert Witnesses

Judge Engoron rejected a request from the New York Attorney General to exclude four expert witnesses from testifying on behalf of the defense. Attorney General Letitia James’ office had contested these witnesses, asserting that their testimony was irrelevant following Judge Arthur Engoron’s pretrial ruling, which held Trump responsible for fraud.

Lawyers Say No Legal Standard

The Trumps have refuted any wrongdoing, with their legal representatives arguing that the state has not met “any legal standard” to substantiate allegations of fraud and falsifying business records.

There Is No Victim

Trump lawyer Christopher Kise also argued that the AG’s case involved “successful and profitable loan transactions,” stating, “There is no victim. There is no complainant. There is no injury.”

Ivanka Trump Had No Role in Financial Statements

Ivanka Trump has stated under oath that she played no part in her father’s personal financial statements, alleged by New York Attorney General Letitia James to be fraudulently inflated and deceptive.

Ivanka Was Disciplined and Controlled

“Ivanka Trump was cordial, she was disciplined, she was controlled, and she was very courteous,” Attorney General Letitia James said when asked by reporters about her testimony outside court. James argued, “This case is about fraudulent statements of financial condition that she benefited from. She was enriched. And clearly, you cannot distance yourself from that fact.”

Trump Organization Over-Delivered on Projects

During her testimony, Ivanka portrayed the Trump Organization as a prosperous developer of high-value projects that met the expectations of its lenders. “They were complicated projects, and I believe we overdelivered on every metric,” Ivanka said.

Failing to Prove Essential Elements of the Case

Editorial credit: Joe Tabacca / Shutterstock.

With the case now turning to the defense, the Trumps’ attorneys plan to argue that Judge Engoron should find in their favor immediately. Alina Habba, Trump’s lawyer, stated outside the court, “The attorney general rested their case, and it is very clear that they have failed to prove the essential elements of the case.”

Planting Ammo for His Next Insurrection?

Users took to social media to comment on the recent developments of the NY fraud trial. One user posted, “If Trump’s case is to be decided by the judge and not a jury, couldn’t constantly insulting the judge be a stupid move? Is he just planting ammo for his next insurrection?” Another user posted, “I’m guessing ‘testifies’ equals ‘I don’t recall?’”