Former US President Donald Trump does not want to testify personally in the ongoing fraud trial against him in New York today. The 77-year-old announced this on the online platform “Truth Social,” which he co-founded.
He had already testified “very successfully and convincingly,” Trump wrote in capital letters in a longer statement. Trump was expected to appear as a defense witness today in the final phase of the trial, which has been ongoing since early October.
The civil case is about the future of the 77-year-old’s corporate empire. The public prosecutor’s office accuses Trump, his sons and employees of manipulating the value of the Trump Organization for years in order to get cheaper loans and insurance contracts. The Republican Trump is not threatened with a prison sentence or a direct impact on his presidential candidacy, but a conviction could cause him great business damage.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James wants Trump to pay $250 million and be barred from doing business in New York.
Trump had already testified in a heated and sometimes chaotic meeting in November and repeatedly emphasized that the value of his real estate was underestimated, but not inflated. However, he also freely admitted that he had influenced financial reports and sometimes contradicted himself. His children Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka were also questioned by the public prosecutor in the proceedings.
The former president wants to be re-elected in 2024. He is the most promising candidate for the Republican nomination. According to many observers, he is using the process as election advertising.
