The judge overseeing the tax fraud trial against Donald Trump, his two eldest sons, and the family business in New York, has denied the former president’s request to deliver closing arguments on Thursday, according to court documents. The trial, initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accuses Trump and his sons of fraudulently inflating property values. James seeks $370 million in compensation and a ban on Trump conducting business in the state.
Both legal teams will commence their final arguments on Thursday. Trump’s lawyers, who have accused the judge and the attorney general of bias, had indicated that the former president, a leading candidate for the Republican nomination in the upcoming November elections, would unusually present his closing arguments.
In recent email exchanges between Judge Arthur Engoron and Trump’s legal team, the judge insisted that if Trump wanted to speak, he must stick to the facts of the case and “accept the limitations” imposed on him. With no response from Trump’s defense on these conditions, the judge ruled that “as a consequence, he will not speak before the court tomorrow (Thursday).”
The judge also rejected the defense’s request to postpone the hearing until January 29 due to the death of Trump’s mother-in-law. Trump’s legal team deemed the decision “very unfair.”
Throughout the proceedings, Trump has taken to social media, labeling the case a “witch hunt” and claiming it was predetermined against him. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he asserted his innocence, criticized Letitia James as “totally corrupt,” and defended the soundness of his financial statements, stating that the case should never have been filed.
This trial is one of several legal challenges facing the former president, including allegations of electoral interference in Georgia and the potential mishandling of classified documents upon leaving the White House.