arm wrestling Attorney General seeks $250 million in damages from former president and his children, with battle to last a year before the presidential
Donald Trump and his children Eric, Donald Jr and Ivanka, in 2014 in Washington. — Evan Vucci/AP/SIPA
The New York justice has fixed; on October 2, 2023, 13 months before the 2024 presidential election, the civil trial of Donald Trump and three of his children, accused of fraudulent tax practices within the Trump Organization.
In the case, New York State Attorney General Letitia James accuses the Republican billionaire and his children of “deliberately” manipulated valuations of group assets – which includes golf clubs, luxury hotels and other properties – to obtain more advantageous loans from banks or to reduce taxes.
She is claiming $250 million in damages on behalf of the state, as well as bans from running companies for the former president and his relatives. Also targeted are three children of the former president, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump. Judge Arthur Engoron of the Supreme Court of the State of New York set on Tuesday a procedural schedule extending from December 2022 to October 2, 2023, the date the trial begins.
A special prosecutor appointed for criminal investigations
Donald Trump, who officially indicated last week to be a candidate for the presidential election of 2024, is aimed at in several legal proceedings, but he is not currently the subject of any charges.
Three days after this declaration of candidacy, the Minister of Justice Merrick Garland had announced the appointment of a special prosecutor, Jack Smith, to take over two ongoing US justice investigations: one into Donald Trump’s efforts to change the results of the presidential election ;2020, the other on the management of the White House archives. This special prosecutor will be responsible for to say whether there is reason to indict Donald Trump in one of these two files, but it will be up to the minister to decide.
Tax returns sent to Congress
The former president (2017-2021) emerged weakened from the midterm elections in November, after results that were worse than expected. for the Republicans and several defeats of candidates he supported, while one of his potential rivals for a primary from his party, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, was defeated. triumphantly re-elected.
On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court also allowed the transfer of the former president’s tax returns, rejecting a final appeal from Donald Trump. A committee of the House of Representatives, in the hands of the Democrats until January, has been demanding for three years the documents transmitted to the tax authorities by the billionaire between 2015 and 2020.