Eric Trump, son of former President Donald Trump, attends a Trump Organization fraud hearing on November 2, 2023 in New York City.
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Eric Trump, son of former President Donald Trump, attends a Trump Organization fraud hearing on November 2, 2023 in New York City.
Shannon Stapleton/Poole/AFP via Getty Images
Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and son of former President Donald Trump, has begun testifying in a civil trial in New York County Supreme Court. The investigation alleges that he, his brother Donald Trump Jr. and his father knowingly committed fraud by submitting financial statements that inflated the value of their properties and other assets.
Attorney General Andrew Amar questioned Eric Trump about his role within the Trump Organization and the hierarchy of businesses before, during and after Donald Trump’s presidency.
Donald Trump Jr. and his brother Eric Trump arrive at New York Supreme Court on Thursday in New York City for a civil fraud trial of former President Donald Trump.
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Donald Trump Jr. and his brother Eric Trump arrive at New York Supreme Court on Thursday in New York City for a civil fraud trial of former President Donald Trump.
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Donald Trump Jr. was the first family member to testify
Eric’s brother, Donald Trump Jr., another executive vice president of the Trump Organization, concluded his testimony Thursday.
Asked directly by New York Judge Arthur Engoren if he had anything to do with the financial statements released by the Trump Organization, Trump Jr. said, “No, I don’t, your honor.”
Throughout his testimony, Trump Jr. said he relied on others to review financial statements. According to documents shown at trial, Donald J. Reports that the trustees of a Trump revocable trust are “liable” have already been found to be fraudulent by a judge.
Donald Trump Jr. sits in a New York courtroom Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, in New York.
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Donald Trump Jr. sits in a New York courtroom Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, in New York.
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Another lawyer for the attorney general, Colleen Faherty, asked Trump Jr. about his previous roles in the Trump Organization and as a trustee of the Trump Revocable Trust. He also asked about his hierarchy in the business and where it landed him, his brother, his father and Alan Weiselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, as defendants in the investigation.
Trump Jr. testified that he did not recall being involved in the compilation of Donald Trump’s financial statements, but that he was responsible for signing the documents. He said he relied on others like Weiselberg to verify the documents.
Former President Donald Trump is set to testify soon
The former president is expected to take the witness stand Monday, the first time he has been formally called to testify publicly in any pending trial.
The former president’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, is set to testify next week. She is not a defendant.
Although Engoran has already ruled that the Trump Organization filed fraudulent financial statements, several issues remain to be resolved in the investigation. These include whether the fraud was intentional and how much fines the defendants should pay if found liable.
