(JONESBORO, Ga.) — The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that it is investigating a “racially motivated” murder that occurred on Sunday at the Clayton County Jail in Jonesboro, Georgia, where an inmate allegedly beat his cellmate to death “because of the color of his skin.”
Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen said in a press release Monday that inmate Jaquez Jackson “brutally beat his cell mate with his bare hands, viciously punching, kicking and slamming his head on the toilet, murdering him simply because of the color of his skin.”
The name of the cellmate has not been released.
“During the investigation, Inmate Jaquez Jackson stated several times to investigators that he does not like Mexican/Hispanics and wanted to kill them,” Allen said.
ABC News has reached out to the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office and the Clayton County Jail, but requests for comment were not immediately returned.
Jackson was charged with murder, malice murder, aggravated assault and starting a penal riot, according to the sheriff’s office. He had been in the Clayton County Jail on a probation violation related to misdemeanor charges, including simple battery, simple assault, criminal trespass, making terroristic threats and obstruction of an officer.
It is unclear if Jackson has retained an attorney in connection to the murder charges.
Jackson was sentenced to five years on April 20, 2022, with 12 months in jail and four on probation, but his probation was revoked on Aug. 11, according to the sheriff’s press release.
The sheriff’s office contacted the Clayton County Medical Examiner’s office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to assist in the investigation.
The murder comes after U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, called for a federal civil rights investigation into “alleged mistreatment and abuse of inmates” in the Clayton County Jail, where he pointed to reports of “troubling conditions” following the deaths of several inmates.
“There appears to be a pattern and practice of civil rights violations in this jail that result in preventable deaths and jeopardize public trust,” Sen. Ossoff wrote in a Sept. 13 statement, calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an investigation.
In a Sept. 7 letter to Department of Justice Attorney General Merrick Garland, Ossoff wrote, “There appears to be a pattern and practice of civil rights violations in this jail that result in preventable deaths and jeopardize public trust.”
ABC News has reached out to the DOJ for comment but has not received a response.
Ossoff’s call for a federal probe came after the DOJ prosecuted then-Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill, who was found guilty in Oct. 2022 of violating the civil rights of jail detainees, according to ABC affiliate in Atlanta, WSB-TV. Hill pleaded not guilty and took the stand in his own defense.
Per WSB-TV, Allen won his first official term as sheriff in April after serving as interim sheriff beginning in Dec. 2022.
Allen said in the press release Monday that for the past 11 months, the sheriff’s office and the Board of Commissions “have been working together diligently to make improvements to the Jail and its current conditions,” including more than $5 million for upgrades to facilities, including security.
Per Allen, the Clayton County Jail currently houses approximately 1,900 inmates, which is nearly 400 over capacity, placing inmates on the floor and three in each cell.
The sheriff said that he asked for an additional $6.5 million from the board of commissioners to expand the jail’s capacity.
(JACKSON, Miss.) — The family of Dexter Wade held a funeral on Monday afternoon for the 37-year-old man who was fatally struck by an off-duty police officer in Jackson, Mississippi, on March 5 and was buried in a potter’s field for more than five months before authorities notified his family.
The Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy for Wade — a father of two — while family attorney Ben Crump will continue to call on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Jackson Police Department in the wake of Wade’s death.
“I wanted to come for two reasons, Ms. Wade,” Sharpton said, addressing Dexter Wade’s mother, Bettersten Wade Robinson. “I wanted to give words of comfort to the family, but I wanted to give words of discomfort to the state of Mississippi.”
“What happened to Dexter is a disgrace, a national outrage and should be treated as such,” he added. “… His life mattered to his mama, to his daughters and we’re gonna make it matter all over this country.”
The funeral was attended by Wade’s family, including his mother and two daughters, community advocates and Tiffany Carter — the mother of Rasheem Carter, a Black man from Mississippi who went missing in Oct. 2022, and whose partial remains were later found. Carter is also seeking answers about her son’s death.
“I really found [Dexter] for his two girls because they loved him so so much. And I wanted them to know what happened to their dad,” Wade Robinson said. “And right now I thank everybody for just fighting with me. Just keep fighting with me. Because it’s not over yet.”
Wade Robinson accused the county and police of a “cover up” after it took more than five months for her to be informed of her son’s death, despite having reported him missing on March 14 to Jackson police – nine days after she had last heard from him.
Wade Robinson, who told ABC News that she provided her contact information to police and is questioning why they did not inform her of her son’s death and burial until Aug. 24.
“Right now I’m hoping I can get to some kind of answer as to why it happened and what was the reason that it happened. But right now I’m still not satisfied,” Wade Robinson told ABC News Live’s Linsey Davis in an interview that aired Nov. 15 on Prime.
The funeral comes after the family released on Thursday the results of an independent autopsy that contradict city officials’ statements regarding why it took so long for police to notify Wade’s family of his death.
According to Crump, the independent autopsy found that Wade did have a wallet in the front pocket of his jeans when he was killed that contained his state identification card with his home address, his credit card and a health insurance card – a detail he says that directly contradicts a statement made by Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.
“The fact that Dexter had a state identification card and several other identifying items shows us that there was a concerted effort to keep the truth and manner of his death from his family,” Crump said in a statement on Thursday. “There is no excuse, not even incompetence, for not notifying a next of kin of an identified man’s death.”
Lumumba previously acknowledged during his State of the City address on Oct. 26 that there was a “lack of communication” that led to the monthslong delay in letting Wade’s family know what happened to him and said the delay was, in part, due to Wade having no ID on his person when he was killed.
According to Lumumba, police could not initially identify Wade. He did, however, have a prescription drug bottle that eventually allowed the Hinds County medical examiner’s office to identify him. He also said that when Wade was identified, police had trouble finding the correct contact information for his family.
“The failure was that ultimately, there was a lack of communication with the missing persons division, the coroner’s office and accident investigation,” Lumumba said.
Crump pointed to the missing person’s response that Wade Robinson filed with the Jackson Police Department, where she provided her contact information, and questioned during a press conference on Oct. 30 why police didn’t visit Wade Robinson’s home to inform her of her son’s death.
“If they really wanted to notify her that the police officer had hit and killed her son when he crossed the street, they could have came and knocked on the door. It defies all logic and common sense,” Crump said.
ABC News has reached out to the Hinds County Coroner’s Office to inquire about the results of the county autopsy and the circumstances that led the medical examiner to identify Wade, but requests for comment were not returned.
ABC News has also reached out to the city of Jackson and the mayor’s office following the release of findings of the independent autopsy report.
A spokesperson for the Jackson Police Department previously declined to comment to ABC News when asked about Wade’s death and the circumstances that led to the delay in informing his family.
During the mayor’s State of the City address, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade — who is no relation to Dexter Wade — offered his condolences to Wade’s family.
“I cannot imagine the pain that they’re feeling,” the police chief said. “I put measures in place to make sure something like this does not happen on my watch. I’ve also put the right people in place to make sure this does not happen on my watch.”
The independent autopsy report also found, according to Crump, that Wade’s body was not embalmed and was in an advanced state of decomposition when he was exhumed last week. It also found that his left leg was severed and he had multiple blunt force injuries to the skull, ribs, and pelvis.
Lumumba said in his address on Oct. 26 that “at no point have we identified, nor did any investigation reveal that there was any police misconduct in this process.”
“The accident was investigated and it was determined that it was, in fact, an accident, and that there was no malicious intent,” he added.
The office of Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said in a statement on Oct. 27 that his office was working with the Jackson Police Department, Hinds County Coroner’s Office and other relevant agencies to investigate Wade’s death, the failure to notify his next of kin in a timely manner and the “irregularities surrounding the disposition of Mr. Wade’s body.”
“We ask for the public’s patience as this important work is undertaken,” Owens added.
ABC News reached out to Owens’ office to inquire about the status of the investigation, but a request for comment was not immediately returned.
(WASHINGTON) — New details of a federal investigation into a “massive” fentanyl ring were released Monday as officials announced 11 additional suspects — out of 23 total in custody — had been arrested in connection with the illegal sale and distribution of the ultra-deadly synthetic opioid, which health officials say is a major factor in the country’s overdose epidemic.
“Fentanyl is the greatest threat to Americans today,” the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Anne Milgram, told reporters at a news conference.
“It is devastating families across our country and killing Americans from all walks of life,” Milgram said. “And it is the leading cause of death today in the United States for Americans between the age of 18 and 45.”
Authorities said their investigation began with the overdose death of 20-year-old mother Diamond Lynch.
Lynch died almost instantly in Washington, D.C., in April 2021 after taking a pill that had been made to look like the prescription pain medication Oxycodone, Milgram said.
Officials described how Lynch’s supplier had caused her to overdose in the past before eventually providing her with the deadly fake pill that killed her.
“Our investigation did not stop there, though,” said Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. “We uncovered leads that pointed to a massive fentanyl distribution network.”
“This was a conspiracy that flooded the District of Columbia with fake pills containing fentanyl dangerously marked, as they so often are, with ‘M-30’ imprints to resemble legally manufactured Oxycodone,” Graves said.
Federal officials along with D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department have been rooting out the narcotics network, which investigators said has a footprint in other parts of the country, including California, Maryland, Tennessee and Virginia.
Authorities now have 23 defendants in custody, have seized more than 40 pounds of fentanyl powder, about a quarter-million pills and 30 firearms, including six machine guns, Graves said. Twenty-six total people have been charged, according to officials.
Charges against the accused include conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Some of the suspects are further charged with conspiracy to commit international money laundering and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
Milgram said the defendants had pushed more than a million fentanyl pills into the district.
Wholesale prices ranged from 30 cents to $3 before the sale of the $30 pill that killed Lynch and sparked the federal investigation two years ago, Milgram said.
Some mainstream social media sites have been used by criminals to market fentanyl and connect buyers with suppliers, according to law enforcement. Authorities in this case said they were able to acquire search warrants to uncover the communications that informed the conspiracy charges.
“The criminals are making so much money off of each sale that they don’t care if they kill Americans in the process,” Milgram said. “Especially because when it comes to modern drug conspiracies like this one, most of the people involved never met in person.”
(NEW YORK) — Robyn Roberts, a 63-year-old grandmother of 33 and great-grandmother of 12, solidified the idea of education as a lifelong pursuit this weekend by receiving a diploma from Southern New Hampshire University.
“I have finished something I started that is absolutely amazing, and I feel amazing,” Roberts said in an interview with the university that was shared with “Good Morning America.”
Roberts said the idea to pursue a college degree was spurred by a challenge from her grandson, who told her in high school, “I’ll do it if you do it,” according to Roberts. The competition then escalated to a GPA contest, a match Roberts said she won.
Roberts, who graduated with a degree in business administration, turns 64 next month and plans to attend law school, after which she hopes to provide support to survivors of abuse, according to the university.
“64 is the year of new beginnings,” she said. “If all goes well, by the time I turn 67, I’ll be a lawyer.”
Roberts and her husband own a trucking business that transports hazardous materials and government equipment, according to the university.
Roberts expressed appreciation for SNHU for allowing her to complete her degree in a manner consistent with running a business.
“I did 90% of my studies from inside my semi-truck,” said Roberts, who worked on assignments in rest areas while on the road.
The multitasking will not stop with graduation. Roberts stopped to deliver a load in Dover, Delaware, on her way to the event, and will make stops in New York and Arkansas this week before arriving back in her home city of Las Vegas in order to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for 38 people.
Roberts also noted she has the same name, though spelled differently, as “Good Morning America” co-host Robin Roberts, and expressed congratulations to Roberts on her recent wedding.
“It is so good to share such a great name with such a great lady,” she said.
(NEW YORK) — Sam Altman, a prominent executive behind the rise of artificial intelligence, was hired by Microsoft days after being ousted as CEO of OpenAI, eliciting a letter signed by nearly 600 employees at OpenAI calling for the resignation of the company’s board and the return of Altman.
The employees threatened to quit and join Microsoft if their demands were not met, according to a copy of the letter obtained by ABC News. Included among the signees was company board member Ilya Sutskever as well as Mira Murati, who briefly served as interim CEO after the departure of Altman.
The letter, addressed to OpenAI board members, says: “Your conduct has made it clear you did not have the competence to oversee OpenAI.”
“We, the undersigned, may choose to resign from OpenAI and join the newly announced Microsoft subsidiary run by Sam Altman and Greg Brockman,” the OpenAI employee letter said. “Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAI employees at this new subsidiary should we choose to join. We will take this step imminently, unless all current board members resign, and the board appoints two new lead independent directors.”
Greg Brockman, the former president of OpenAI who resigned from the company soon after the departure of Altman, will also join the newly created AI team at Microsoft.
“We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success,” Nadella said on X in an announcement of the hiring of Brockman and Altman.
In a repost of the announcement from Nadella, Altman said on X: “The mission continues.”
In a separate post, Brockman announced the leadership of the new AI department at Microsoft, which appeared to include several recent employees at OpenAI. “We are going to build something new & it will be incredible,” Brockman said.
Meanwhile, OpenAI hired former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear as its interim CEO, replacing executive Mira Murati days after internally appointing her to the role, Shear said Monday on X.
The departure of Altman from OpenAI followed a review process undertaken by the company’s board of directors, according to OpenAI, the maker of the popular conversation bot ChatGPT. The review concluded that Altman “was not consistently candid in his communications with the board,” OpenAI said in a statement on Friday.
One of the board members involved in the exit of Altman, however, has since expressed remorse about the move.
“I deeply regret my participation in the board’s actions,” Sutskever, a longtime AI researcher and co-founder of OpenAI, posted on X on Monday. “I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we’ve built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company.”
In January, Microsoft announced it was investing $10 billion in OpenAI. The move deepened a longstanding relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI, which began with a $1 billion investment four years ago. Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, offers users access to ChatGPT.
OpenAI has risen to prominence since ChatGPT was made available to the public a year ago. The chatbot now boasts more than 100 million weekly users, Altman announced earlier this month.
Speaking with ABC News’ Rebecca Jarvis in March, Altman said AI holds the capacity to profoundly improve people’s lives but also poses serious risks.
“We’ve got to be careful here,” Altman said. “I think people should be happy that we are a little bit scared of this.”
ABC News’ Zunaira Zaki contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The family of Dexter Wade is set to hold a funeral on Monday afternoon for the 37-year-old man, who was fatally struck by an off-duty police officer in Jackson, Mississippi, on March 5 and was buried in a potter’s field for more than five months before authorities notified his family.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is expected to deliver the eulogy for Wade, while family attorney Ben Crump will continue to call on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Jackson Police Department in the wake of Wade’s death.
Wade’s mother, Bettersten Wade Robinson, accused the county and police of a “cover up” after it took more than five months for her to be informed of her son’s death, despite having reported him missing on March 14 to Jackson police – nine days after she had last heard from him.
Wade Robinson, who told ABC News that she provided her contact information to police and is questioning why they did not inform her of her son’s death and burial until Aug. 24.
“Right now I’m hoping I can get to some kind of answer as to why it happened and what was the reason that it happened. But right now I’m still not satisfied,” Wade Robinson told ABC News Live’s Linsey Davis in an interview that aired Nov. 15 on Prime.
“It’s a steady cover up,” she added.
The funeral comes after the family released on Thursday the results of an independent autopsy that contradict city officials’ statements regarding why it took so long for police to notify Wade’s family of his death.
According to Crump, the independent autopsy found that Wade did have a wallet in the front pocket of his jeans when he was killed that contained his state identification card with his home address, his credit card, and a health insurance card – a detail that directly contradicts a statement made by Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.
“The fact that Dexter had a state identification card and several other identifying items shows us that there was a concerted effort to keep the truth and manner of his death from his family,” Crump said in a statement on Thursday. “There is no excuse, not even incompetence, for not notifying a next of kin of an identified man’s death.”
Lumumba previously acknowledged during his State of the City address on Oct. 26 that there was a “lack of communication” that led to the months-long delay in letting Wade’s family know what had happened to him and said that the delay was, in part, due to Wade having no ID on his person when he was killed.
According to Lumumba, police could not initially identify Wade. He did, however, have a prescription drug bottle that eventually allowed the Hinds County medical examiner’s office to identify him.
“The failure was that ultimately, there was a lack of communication with the missing persons division, the coroner’s office and accident investigation,” Lumumba said.
ABC News has reached out to the Hinds County Coroner’s Office to inquire about the results of the county autopsy and the circumstances that led the medical examiner to identify Wade, but requests for comment were not returned.
ABC News has also reached out to the city of Jackson and the mayor’s office following the release of findings of the independent autopsy report.
A spokesperson for the Jackson Police Department previously declined to comment to ABC News when asked about Wade’s death and the circumstances that led to the delay in informing his family.
During the mayor’s State of the City address, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade — who is no relation to Dexter Wade — offered his condolences to Wade’s family.
“I cannot imagine the pain that they’re feeling,” the police chief said. “I put measures in place to make sure something like this does not happen on my watch. I’ve also put the right people in place to make sure this does not happen on my watch.”
The independent autopsy report also found, according to Crump, that Wade’s body was not embalmed and was in an advanced state of decomposition when he was exhumed last week. It also found that his left leg was amputated and he had multiple blunt force injuries to the skull, ribs, and pelvis.
Lumumba said in his address on Oct. 26 that “at no point have we identified, nor did any investigation reveal that there was any police misconduct in this process.”
“The accident was investigated and it was determined that it was, in fact, an accident, and that there was no malicious intent,” he added.
The office of Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said in a statement on Oct. 27 that his office was working with the Jackson Police Department, Hinds County Coroner’s Office, and other relevant agencies to investigate Wade’s death, the failure to notify his next of kin in a timely manner and the “irregularities surrounding the disposition of Mr. Wade’s body.”
“We ask for the public’s patience as this important work is undertaken,” Owens added.
ABC News reached out to Owens’ office to inquire about the status of the investigation, but a request for comment was not immediately returned.
(NEW YORK) — Americans are bracing for a cross-country storm during Thanksgiving week, one of the busiest holiday travel weeks of the year.
The storm — which dumped rain and snow in the West this weekend — is now marching east, bringing damaging winds and potential hail and tornadoes to the South.
Jackson, Mississippi; Rolling Fork, Mississippi; and Alexandria, Louisiana, are most likely to get hit by the severe weather Monday afternoon and evening. New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, will be in the bull’s-eye overnight and Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday, the storm will gain speed as it barrels into the Northeast. Those driving along the Interstate 95 corridor to reach their Thanksgiving destinations should exercise extreme caution.
Rain will reach the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia area by the morning rush hour and will last all day.
By Tuesday evening, the heaviest rain is expected from the Carolinas to New York City. Flash flooding is possible overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
By Wednesday morning, the heavy rain will be slamming Boston.
Snow will begin in northern New England Tuesday afternoon and continue through Wednesday night. Six to 12 inches of snow is forecast for parts of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Behind this cross-country storm will be the first bitter cold of the season.
Temperatures on Thanksgiving morning will feel like the 20s and 30s for the majority of the U.S.
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York in a $250 million civil lawsuit that could alter the personal fortune and real estate empire that helped propel Trump to the White House.
Trump, his sons Eric Trump and and Donald Trump Jr., and other top Trump Organization executives are accused by New York Attorney General Letitia James of engaging in a decade-long scheme in which they used “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” to inflate Trump’s net worth in order get more favorable loan terms. The trial comes after the judge in the case ruled in a partial summary judgment that Trump had submitted “fraudulent valuations” for his assets, leaving the trial to determine additional actions and what penalty, if any, the defendants should receive.
The former president has denied all wrongdoing and his attorneys have argued that Trump’s alleged inflated valuations were a product of his business skill.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 20, 8:56 AM EST
With no gag order, Trump continues to assail judge, clerk
With his limited gag order temporarily lifted on Thursday, Trump is continuing to rail against his civil fraud trial on social media, calling for the prosecution of New York Attorney General Letitia James, Judge Arthur Engoron, and Engoron’s law clerk.
Describing the case as a “horribly handled persecution of a political opponent,” Trump alleged that Engoron himself committed fraud by undervaluing his assets in his pretrial ruling, and that his clerk and James were complicit in the case.
“The World is watching this illegal Witch Hunt,” Trump wrote.
Describing Engoron’s clerk as a “co-judge” and “highly partisan,” Trump’s posts over the weekend were the second and third time the former president took aim at the clerk since an appeals court temporarily lifted the gag order preventing him from attacking Engoron’s staff. In both posts, Trump explicitly mentioned the clerk by name.
Engoron on Friday denied Trump’s request for a mistrial, which alleged bias on the part of the the judge, writing in his ruling, “As I have made clear over the course of this trial, my rulings are mine, and mine alone. There is absolutely no ‘co-judging’ at play.”
Nov 17, 4:14 PM EST
Judge denies Trump’s request for mistrial
Judge Arthur Engoron denied Donald Trump’s request for a mistrial, describing the defendants’ arguments as “nonsensical,” “disingenuous,” and “utterly without merit.”
Engoron rejected the motion without hearing any arguments from the New York Attorney General, who earlier this week requested that an extended briefing be scheduled.
“I cannot sign a proposed order to show cause that is utterly without merit, and upon which subsequent briefing would therefore be futile,” Engoron wrote in his ruling.
Across a four-page order, Engoron sharply disagreed with the allegations from the defendants that he was engaging in “co-judging” with his law clerk.
“As I have made clear over the course of this trial, my rulings are mine, and mine alone. There is absolutely no ‘co-judging’ at play,” Engoron said.
Addressing his principal law clerk’s political donations, which the judge said she has largely made in order to purchase tickets to functions while pursuing elected judicial office, Engoron called out the defendants for failing to acknowledge the “applicable unambiguous ethical guidelines” that permit such donations. He similarly dismissed the idea that his clerk attending events sponsored by political organizations implies that she supports any position taken by those groups.
“Such arguments are nonsensical; and in any event, they are a red herring, as my Principal Law Clerk does not make rulings or issue orders — I do,” Engoron said in his ruling.
Court was subsequently adjourned for the day.
Nov 17, 2:20 PM EST
Defense expert questions insurance company’s due diligence
The due diligence conducted by the Trump Organization’s insurance company amounted to nothing more than “airballs and witchcraft,” according to the defense’s underwriting expert Gary Giulietti.
Giulietti’s testimony appeared to cast doubt on the extent to which the Zurich Insurance Group scrutinized Trump’s financial documents that are at the center of the case.
In a deposition that was played earlier in court, Zurich insurance underwriter Claudia Mouradian said she relied on assurances that the Trump Organization’s $6 billion in assets were supported by appraisals.
“They should have asked if they wanted it,” Giulietti testified, adding that Zurich’s approach of relying on media reports about Trump’s net worth was “inconsistent” with industry standards.
Giulietti acknowledged that he had an ongoing business relationship with Trump, including making $1.2 million in commissions from the company in 2022. A personal friend of Trump, Giulietti confidently defended his business record on the stand.
“You’re sort of insulting me aren’t you?” he said after state attorney Andrew Amer, on cross-examination, questioned his qualifications as an expert witness. “There’s no one like me in the industry.”
He later said he was sorry for his response.
“I would like to apologize to the counsel. Not my style,” he told Amer.
Nov 17, 12:06 PM EST
Defense expert appears to contradict his own findings
The cross examination of the defense’s real estate expert, which was expected to last at least two hours, ended abruptly after he appeared to contradict his own findings in the expert report he had compiled.
Steven Laposa testified yesterday that he believed the attorney general’s report was “flawed” because it was based on the market value of Trump’s assets, rather than their investment value, which could be much higher.
Minutes into his cross-examination, state attorney Louis Solomon requested that Laposa read the second sentence of the notes section of Donald Trump’s statement of financial condition.
“Assets are stated at their estimated current values,” the note said, referring to the properties’ market value.
“First time I’ve seen this,” Laposa responded after reading the note, which supported the attorney general’s contention that the valuations were indeed based on market values.
“You wrote a report accusing the attorney general of bias” by using market values, Solomon lectured Laposa, prompting a sustained objection from the defense.
Solomon’s cross-examination of Laposa concluded after the exchange.
Nov 17, 4:14 PM EST
Judge denies Trump’s request for mistrial
Judge Arthur Engoron denied Donald Trump’s request for a mistrial, describing the defendants’ arguments as “nonsensical,” “disingenuous,” and “utterly without merit.”
Engoron rejected the motion without hearing any arguments from the New York Attorney General, who earlier this week requested that an extended briefing be scheduled.
“I cannot sign a proposed order to show cause that is utterly without merit, and upon which subsequent briefing would therefore be futile,” Engoron wrote in his ruling.
Across a four-page order, Engoron sharply disagreed with the allegations from the defendants that he was engaging in “co-judging” with his law clerk.
“As I have made clear over the course of this trial, my rulings are mine, and mine alone. There is absolutely no ‘co-judging’ at play,” Engoron said.
Addressing his principal law clerk’s political donations, which the judge said she has largely made in order to purchase tickets to functions while pursuing elected judicial office, Engoron called out the defendants for failing to acknowledge the “applicable unambiguous ethical guidelines” that permit such donations. He similarly dismissed the idea that his clerk attending events sponsored by political organizations implies that she supports any position taken by those groups.
“Such arguments are nonsensical; and in any event, they are a red herring, as my Principal Law Clerk does not make rulings or issue orders — I do,” Engoron said.
Nov 17, 2:20 PM EST
Defense expert questions insurance company’s due diligence
The due diligence conducted by the Trump Organization’s insurance company amounted to nothing more than “airballs and witchcraft,” according to the defense’s underwriting expert Gary Giulietti.
Giulietti’s testimony appeared to cast doubt on the extent to which the Zurich Insurance Group scrutinized Trump’s financial documents that are at the center of the case.
In a deposition that was played earlier in court, Zurich insurance underwriter Claudia Mouradian said she relied on assurances that the Trump Organization’s $6 billion in assets were supported by appraisals.
“They should have asked if they wanted it,” Giulietti testified, adding that Zurich’s approach of relying on media reports about Trump’s net worth was “inconsistent” with industry standards.
Giulietti acknowledged that he had an ongoing business relationship with Trump, including making $1.2 million in commissions from the company in 2022. A personal friend of Trump, Giulietti confidently defended his business record on the stand.
“You’re sort of insulting me aren’t you?” he said after state attorney Andrew Amer, on cross-examination, questioned his qualifications as an expert witness. “There’s no one like me in the industry.”
He later said he was sorry for his response.
“I would like to apologize to the counsel. Not my style,” he told Amer.
Nov 17, 12:06 PM EST
Defense expert appears to contradict his own findings
The cross examination of the defense’s real estate expert, which was expected to last at least two hours, ended abruptly after he appeared to contradict his own findings in the expert report he had compiled.
Steven Laposa testified yesterday that he believed the attorney general’s report was “flawed” because it was based on the market value of Trump’s assets, rather than their investment value, which could be much higher.
Minutes into his cross-examination, state attorney Louis Solomon requested that Laposa read the second sentence of the notes section of Donald Trump’s statement of financial condition.
“Assets are stated at their estimated current values,” the note said, referring to the properties’ market value.
“First time I’ve seen this,” Laposa responded after reading the note, which supported the attorney general’s contention that the valuations were indeed based on market values.
“You wrote a report accusing the attorney general of bias” by using market values, Solomon lectured Laposa, prompting a sustained objection from the defense.
Solomon’s cross-examination of Laposa concluded after the exchange.
Nov 17, 10:51 AM EST
Judge limits testimony about ‘trophy properties’
The defense’s real estate expert Steven Laposa resumed his testimony this morning by testifying about Donald Trump’s “trophy properties.”
Under questioning from the defense, Laposa explained that certain unique and iconic properties could be classified as trophy properties, which are generally purchased by a smaller pool of real estate investors. Trump’s lawyers have claimed that the former president’s assets include multiple trophy properties that were undervalued in his financial statements.
When Laposa attempted to describe how trophy properties are generally valued differently compared to normal buildings, state attorney Louis Solomon objected to the line of questioning, calling it a “waste of time.”
Judge Arthur Engoron sustained the objection.
Nov 17, 8:58 AM EST
Trump touts defense witnesses’ testimony
Following the fourth full day of testimony from witnesses for the defense Thursday, Donald Trump took to social media overnight to tout his case.
The former president posted that defense witnesses have “conclusively” proven that his financial statements were conservative and adequately disclosed, while claiming that New York Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Arthur Engoron “knowingly, substantially, & outrageously” devalued his assets.
After criticizing Engoron’s law clerk in a post last night, Trump’s latest posts do not reference the clerk, who Trump was previously prohibited from mentioning under the limited gag order that was temporarily lifted yesterday.
Nov 16, 8:51 PM EST
With gag order lifted, Trump blasts judge’s clerk online
Hours after an appeals court temporarily lifted a gag order that prohibited Donald Trump from commenting about court staff in his civil fraud trial, the former president criticized Judge Arthur Engoron’s law clerk on social media.
Describing the gag order as “Ridiculous and Unconstitutional,” Trump applauded the appeals court for its decision and described Engoron’s clerk as “politically biased and out of control.”
Engoron issued the limited gag order after Trump made a false social media post about the clerk last month. This evening’s post marked the first time Trump has explicitly mentioned her since then.
Trump also attacked New York Attorney General Letitia James, calling her a “worldwide disgrace,” and his former attorney Michael Cohen, who testified against him during the trial.
Nov 16, 5:55 PM EST
Engoron ends day without addressing gag order
After attentively watching the testimony of the defense’s real estate expert Steven Laposa, Judge Engoron adjourned court for the day without referencing the stay of his limited gag order issued this afternoon by an appellate court.
The judge’s clerk, Allison Greenfield — who was the subject of Trump’s false social media post that triggered Engoron’s limited gag order last month — remained in her regular seat next to the judge after the ruling came down.
Court will resume with Laposa back on the stand Friday.
Nov 16, 5:38 PM EST
Real estate expert describes NY AG’s approach as ‘flawed’
The New York attorney general’s approach to valuing Donald Trump’s properties was “flawed,” according to testimony from the defense’s real estate expert Steven Laposa.
Laposa said that the attorney general’s complaint relied on a market value analysis of Trump’s properties, rather than the investment value of the assets, which would consider the asset’s value based on an individual’s investment requirements instead of market norms.
“In my opinion, it’s flawed,” Laposa said about the attorney general’s findings.
Judge Arthur Engoron appeared attentive during Laposa’s testimony, overruling an objection from the state that would have limited the scope of his testimony.
“I want to hear what he says about evaluations,” Engoron said.
Nov 16, 4:19 PM EST
Defense teams applauds lifting of gag order
Defense attorney Alina Habba, speaking to reporters outside court, said that an appellate judge’s decision to temporarily stay Judge Engoron’s limited gag order on Donald Trump would allow the defense team to continue raising issues with the conduct of Engoron’s clerk, Allison Greenfield.
Habba also said she saw no reason to advise Trump to refrain from attacking Greenfield now that the gag order has been stayed — despite Judge Engoron’s concerns about his staff facing threats.
“There is not a day that I don’t get a threat. It’s just part of the game,” Habba said. “If I put something out on social media, and I get a threat for it, which has happened to me every single day, I don’t get to cry.”
“Ms. James is continuing to disparage my client,” Habba said, referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James, who filed the lawsuit against Trump. “And they were grasping at straws for a reason to say that the president should be gagged. There was no reason.”
James did not ask for the gag order, which was issued by Judge Engoron last month out of concern for the safety of his staff after Trump posted on social media about Greenfield.
Nov 16, 4:00 PM EST
Responses to gag order stay due by Wednesday
New York Attorney General Letitia James and representatives for Judge Arthur Engoron have until Wednesday to file a response to the appellate judge’s stay of the limited gag order imposed last month on Donald Trump by Engoron, according to the appellate judge’s order.
Trump’s reply is then due on Nov. 27 before the appellate court decides whether to fully lift the gag order. The civil fraud trial is expected to wrap up in mid-December.
Engoron’s “gag orders entered during the non-jury trial in the underlying proceeding are unconstitutional, and sanctions imposed there under are in violation of the Judiciary Law and Rules of this court,” Trump’s attorneys said in arguing for the order to be lifted.
Oral arguments about the gag order were presented at a separate courthouse from the courtroom where Trump’s civil trial is taking place. Engoron, who is hearing testimony from an expert witness, has not commented on the decision.
Nov 16, 3:10 PM EST
Appeals court temporarily lifts Trump gag order
A New York appeals court has temporarily lifted the limited gag order imposed on Donald Trump by Judge Arthur Engoron.
Judge David Friedman of the appellate division’s first department ruled from the bench after a brief oral argument.
The judge stayed the limited gag order, citing constitutional concerns over Trump’s free speech rights.
“Considering the constitutional and statutory rights at issue, an interim stay is granted,” Judge Friedman said in a handwritten order.
The gag order was imposed by the Engoron last month after Trump posted about the judge’s law clerk on social media.
Nov 16, 2:51 PM EST
Trump seeks emergency stay of limited gag order
Attorneys for Donald Trump have filed an emergency application for a stay of the limited gag order issued by last month Judge Engoron, asking that an appeals court annul and vacate the gag order and fines imposed against him.
Trump has been fined on two occasions, for a total of $15,000, after making statements referencing the judge’s clerk, and the judge recently extended the gag order to apply to lawyers in the case.
Trump’s lawyers argue that the gag order is an unconstitutional violation of Trump’s freedom of speech, which they say Engoron has used as a “unfettered license to inflict public punishments on a defendant for the defendant’s out-of-court statements.”
“As applied to President Trump, it also prevents a presidential candidate from commenting on the public conduct and possible ethical violations of a critical member of Justice Engoron’s chambers,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.
Engoron has said the gag order is meant to protect his staff from violence, noting that his chambers has received hundreds of threatening phone calls, messages, and packages over the course of the trial. While Trump’s lawyers described Engoron’s desire to protect his staff as “understandable,” they argue the gag order is too broad a “curtailment of plainly protected speech in a trial playing out on a national and international stage.”
An attorney for the New York attorney general responded to the filing by describing the gag order as the least restrictive means available to protect Engoron’s staff.
“The First Amendment does not prohibit courts from restricting speech that threatens the safety of the court’s staff or frustrates the orderly progression of a trial,” the attorney general responded in a letter to the appeals court.
Nov 16, 1:55 PM EST
Trump attorney jokes about football coach
In a moment of levity during a break between witnesses, Judge Arthur Engoron noted that Trump attorney Chris Kise has not yet led the questioning of any witnesses.
“How come you don’t get the pleasure of questioning people?” Engoron asked.
“There’s still time left,” Kise responded, saying that he prefers to coach his team from the sideline like famed New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick or Jimbo Fisher.
Fisher received a record buyout after being fired as coach of Texas A&M this week.
“I’d like to be fired from my job and collecting $77 million,” Kise quipped.
“I’ll see if I can arrange that,” Engoron joked.
Nov 16, 1:22 PM EST
GSA flagged issues with Trump’s financial statements
Steven Collins, an expert in contract procurement, testified that the federal government’s General Services Administration — which reviewed Donald Trump’s proposal to renovate the Old Post Office in Washington, D.C. — identified issues in Donald Trump’s statement of financial condition.
“Financial statements provided by Mr. Trump was qualified by his accountants as not complying with GAAP” or generally accepted accounting principles, a GSA document entered into evidence said about a “notable weakness” of Trump’s proposal.
However, said Collins, Trump’s financial capability as reflected in the statements comprised no more than 15% of the evaluation factors considered by the GSA, which more heavily weighed Trump’s site plan and financial offer in ultimately deciding to award Trump the contract.
Collins testified for roughly an hour for the defense and faced no questions during cross-examination.
Nov 16, 11:45 AM EST
Lawyer suggests Trump trying to throw ‘accountants under the bus’
State attorney Kevin Wallace, in his redirect examination of the defense’s expert witness Jason Flemmons, asked the accounting expert a single question.
“When you were at the Securities and Exchange Commission, did you ever encounter issuers facing allegations of fraud [try] to throw their accountants under the bus?” Wallace asked, in an apparent jab at the defense’s contention that the responsibility for Donald Trump’s financial statements lies with his accountants.
Trump’s lawyers quickly objected to the question. Judge Engoron, visibly smirking, sustained the objection.
Earlier, when asked by Judge Engoron about his compensation for serving as an expert witness, Flemmons said he was unable to estimate the total amount but that his hourly rate was $925 per hour. Michiel McCarty, who testified as an expert witness for the state, testified earlier this month that he charged a similar rate.
Nov 16, 10:56 AM EST
Valuing properties ‘not an exact science,’ says expert
The defense’s accounting expert, Jason Flemmons, testified that the process of determining the estimated value of a property could result in a range of values “no one of which is the right or wrong answer.”
The assertion from Flemmons supports the defense’s long-standing argument that performing valuations such as the ones listed on Donald Trump’s statements of financial condition is more akin to an art than a science.
“Estimated current value is not an exact science. There is not one single correct value that comes of this exercise,” Flemmons said.
Flemmons testified that insofar as Trump used an approved method to determine value, and disclosed that method, the value would be appropriate.
“You are communicating that to the user and allowing that user to be in a position to agree or disagree,” Flemmons said.
State attorney Kevin Wallace has concluded his cross-examination of Flemmons, allowing defense lawyer Jesus Suarez to begin his redirect examination of the accounting expert.
Nov 16, 9:25 AM EST
NY AG requests Dec. 8 deadline to respond to mistrial motion
New York Attorney General Letitia James has requested a Dec. 8 deadline to respond to what she called the “spurious allegations” in Donald Trump’s motion for a mistrial, a day after Trump sought a mistrial claiming bias on the part of Judge Arthur Engoron and his clerk.
If granted, the request would delay any decision on the mistrial motion until later in the trial and likely push any potential appeal until after the trial has concluded.
State attorney Kevin Wallace cited the “considerable daily attention” of the trial and the impending Thanksgiving holiday as reasons for the extended deadline.
“The Office of the Attorney General’s position is that — putting aside the total lack of merit to Defendants’ application for a mistrial — it is preferable to have the Court hear and decide the application on full briefing,” Wallace wrote.
Nov 15, 5:52 PM EST
Expert acknowledges he didn’t review each of Trump’s statements
State attorney Kevin Wallace, cross-examining defense expert Jason Flemmons, attempted to challenge Flemmons’ testimony by pressing the accountant on his experience with personal financial statements and his work reviewing Trump’s statements.
Flemmons testified that he himself had compiled fewer than five statements of financial condition, none of which were done after 2000. He also acknowledged that he did not review each of Trump’s financial statements between 2011 and 2021, which are the subject of the New York attorney general’s complaint.
Flemmons generally underplayed the importance of the financial statements by suggesting that most issues Wallace raised were “easily curable with a phone call.”
Asked if he could provide a specific example where he was involved in such a follow-up inquiry, Flemmons failed to offer an example and instead generally referred to his time working for the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Court was subsequently adjourned for the day, with Wallace scheduled to continue his testimony tomorrow morning.
Nov 15, 3:27 PM EST
Trump adequately disclosed accounting methods, expert says
The defense’s accounting expert could not identify any departures from generally accepted accounting principles — known as GAAP — in Donald Trump’s statements of financial condition that were not disclosed, according to his testimony.
“I don’t believe I have identified any additional discrepancies with GAAP that were not covered by those disclosures,” Jason Flemmons testified toward the end of his direct examination.
Flemmons also testified that the statements appropriately cited their use of appraisals, challenging the state’s assertion that Trump ignored vital appraisal information.
“Was the use of appraisals accurately described in the statements?” defense attorney Jesus Suarez asked.
“I believe so. I don’t believe there was anything that contradicted the use of appraisals but also other bases for evaluating the properties,” Flemmons responded.
Suarez concluded his lengthy direct examination, setting up state attorney Kevin Wallace’s cross-examination of Flemmons.
Nov 15, 2:06 PM EST
Accounting expert says he’s attesting to methodology, not results
After Jason Flemmons, the defense’s expert accounting witness, had testified at length about how Donald Trump’s financial statements included adequate disclaimers to explain his departure from normal accounting standards, Judge Engoron interjected to push back on the testimony.
That prompted Flemmons to confirm he is attesting largely to the general accounting methods used by the Trump Organization — not the specific numbers they provided for each of their assets.
As Flemmons gets further into his second day on the stand, Judge Engoron’s initial enthusiasm regarding his testimony appears to be on the wane, with the judge sustaining more of the state’s objections and asking increasingly skeptical questions.
Nov 15, 12:44 PM EST
Trump warned lenders statements may be unreliable, expert says
Donald Trump disclosed that 95% of the assets listed in his 2014 statement of financial condition departed from generally accepted accounting principles — known in the industry as GAAP — according to the defense’s expert witness Jason Flemmons.
The testimony from the defense’s accounting expert bolsters Trump’s argument that the departures from GAAP in his statements were adequately disclosed to lenders, making the lenders themselves responsible for drawing their own conclusions about the valuations listed in the documents.
It also supports the defense’s position that Trump’s statements fell within the regulations on personal financial statements, thus shielding him from allegations of fraud.
Nov 15, 12:03 PM EST
Judge delays ruling on mistrial after Trump claims bias
Judge Arthur Engoron did not issue a ruling on the defense’s motion for a mistrial in court, opting to give the New York attorney general time to determine if the state wants to respond to the request.
“I would ask if we could have until tomorrow to determine if we want to put in anything,” state attorney Kevin Wallace said after Engoron’s asked if the state plans to file a response.
The testimony of expert witness Jason Flemmons is now resuming.
Nov 15, 11:49 AM EST
Motion accuses judge of ‘predetermining’ trial’s outcome
In their motion for a mistrial, lawyers for Donald Trump and his adult sons argue that Judge Engoron has “predetermined the outcome of this proceeding and is merely going through the motions before it ultimately doles out punishment.”
Writing that the actions of both Engoron and his clerk create an appearance of impropriety that has resulted in “biased rulings,” Trump’s lawyers warn of wide-reaching implications.
“Left unchecked, the introduction of such demonstrable pro-Attorney General and anti-Trump/big real estate bias into a case of worldwide interest involving the front-runner for the Presidency of the United States impugns the integrity of the entire system,” they write.
Their three-pronged motion argues that the extrajudicial conduct of Engoron, the political activity of his clerk, and their rulings — including their gag order and fines — are each irreparable harms that can only be remedied by scrapping the entire trial.
“Only the grant of a mistrial can salvage what is left of the rule of law,” they write.
Nov 15, 10:50 AM EST
Trump is ‘trying to dismiss the truth,’ NY AG spokesperson says
A spokesperson for New York Attorney General Letitia James described Donald Trump’s motion for a mistrial as an effort “to dismiss the truth and the facts.”
“Donald Trump is now being held accountable for the years of fraud he committed,” the spokesperson said. “He can keep trying to distract from his fraud, but the truth always comes out.”
Trump’s motion for a mistrial takes aim at Judge Engoron as well as his law clerk, who frequently collaborates with the judge before he rules on objections, the admissibility of evidence, and other legal matters.
The judge imposed a limited gag order prohibiting statements about his staff after Trump posted about the clerk on social media.
Nov 15, 10:31 AM EST
Trump moves for mistrial, claiming bias on part of judge, clerk
Donald Trump and his co-defendants have filed a motion seeking a mistrial on the grounds that the trial has been “tainted” by the appearance of bias on the part of Judge Arthur Engoron and his law.
“This appearance of bias threatens both Defendants’ rights and the integrity of the judiciary as an institution,” Trump’s attorneys say in the filing. “As developed herein, in this case the evidence of apparent and actual bias is tangible and overwhelming.”
“Specifically, the Court’s own conduct, coupled with the Principal Law Clerk, Allison Greenfield’s unprecedented role in the trial and extensive, public partisan activities, would cause even a casual observer to question the Court’s partiality,” they write.
“Such evidence, coupled with an unprecedented departure from standard judicial procedure, has tainted these proceedings and a mistrial is warranted,” the filing says.
Nov 15, 9:23 AM EST
Expert witness to resume testimony for defense
Donald Trump’s lawyers are scheduled to resume their direct examination of expert witness Jason Flemmons this morning, continuing a line of questioning yesterday that largely placed responsibility for Trump’s financial statements on Trump’s external accountants.
Flemmons, who was qualified as an expert on accounting, explicitly criticized the testimony of Donald Bender, Trump’s accountant at Mazars USA who was the New York attorney general’s first witness, disputing Bender’s claim that he would have wanted to see any appraisals that the Trump Organization conducted.
Flemmons also testified that Trump’s financial statements should have sent a “buyer beware” signal to lenders due to the “highly cautionary language” in their disclaimer, which allowed Trump to make claims that significantly departed from generally accepted accounting principles.
To the extent that the statements and the Trump Organization’s representations about the statements were inaccurate, Flemmons placed responsibility on Bender and his colleagues at Mazars, rather than the Trump Organization.
Nov 14, 5:56 PM EST
Expert calls Trump CPA’s testimony ‘not professionally plausible’
Expert witness Jason Flemmons cast doubt on the testimony of the Trump Organization’s former external accountant Donald Bender, who said he would have wanted to review any appraisals that the Trump Organization conducted.
“That’s not something that is required by professional standards,” said Flemmons, testifying for the defense. “His testimony was not professionally plausible.”
That prompted a strong objection from state attorney Kevin Wallace.
“Is he trying to say the witness is lying?” Wallace said.
“Not to put too fine a point on it,” Judge Engoron quipped.
Asked to confirm what he meant by “professional plausible,” Flemmons said it would be “highly unusual” for Bender to request appraisals outside what was mentioned in the statement of financial condition.
“Accountants in the industry do not go seeking records for things that are not in the four corners of the statement of financial condition,” Flemmons said.
Court was subsequently adjourned for the day, with Flemmons scheduled to continue his testimony tomorrow.
Nov 14, 4:07 PM EST
Trump’s disclaimer told bankers to ‘beware,’ expert says
Defense expert Jason Flemmons described the disclaimer included in Donald Trump’s financial statement as the “highest level disclaimer” that could have been provided to bankers reviewing the document.
Flemmons said that the disclaimer, which he said includes “highly cautionary language,” would allow a user to make claims that significantly departed from generally accepted accounting principles, known in the industry as GAAP.
“Was that language present in a substantially similar form in the compilation statements issued by Mazars for Donald Trump?” defense attorney Jesus Suarez asked.
“Yes,” Flemmons said, adding that the disclaimer was “effectively saying ‘user beware.'”
During his testimony and in statements to the media, Trump has claimed that the disclaimer shields him from liability in the case.
Suarez also used Flemmons’ testimony to suggest that Trump’s external accountants were responsible for understanding the methods used in the financial statement and determining their appropriateness.
That appeared to conflict with testimony of former Trump accountant Donald Bender of Mazars USA, who described his role as akin to plugging numbers provided by the Trump Organization into a template.
Nov 14, 2:49 PM EST
Expert says property valuations can be ‘wildly different’
Taking the witness stand as an expert witness for the defense, accountant Jason Flemmons offered testimony in support of Donald Trump’s approach to valuing his Mar-a-Lago property, which has been the subject of debate throughout the seven weeks of the trial.
In his summary judgment decision, Judge Engoron found that Trump overvalued the estate by at least 2,300% because the Palm Beach County Assessor appraised the property’s market value between $18 and $27.6 million after Trump signed a deed that restricted its use to a social club, potentially limiting its resale value as a residence but ensuring a tax cut. Trump, in contrast, listed its value in his financial statement between $426 million and $612 million, and during his appearances in court and online he has repeatedly attacked Engoron’s finding.
Flemmons argued that Trump’s approach to valuing his assets gave him latitude to consider his property’s future revenue streams. That approach, according to Flemmons, could result in “wildly different values” between the numbers listed on a personal financial statement and a tax assessed value.
“Tax assessed values are typically on the lower end of the spectrum,” Flemmons said, while Engoron looked on attentively.
While he never mentioned Mar-a-Lago by name, Flemmons was asked by defense attorney Jesus Suarez about a hypothetical property assessed at $18 million but valued closer to $500 million using a comparable sales approach — the same approach used to value Mar-a-Lago.
“It would not be unusual to have a value in the hundreds of million using projected cash receipts,” Flemmons said.
Engoron then turned his chair toward Flemmons and began asking his own questions.
“I am trying to get to the order of magnitude we are talking about here,” Engoron said. “What is the highest value you have ever seen legitimately placed on such a property?”
Flemmons could not provide a specific example to answer Engoron’s question but reiterated that a massive discrepancy could be appropriate.
Nov 14, 2:04 PM EST
House Republicans call for probe of Cohen after his testimony
House Intelligence Committee Chair Rep. Michael Turner and House GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik have requested that the Department of Justice investigate Michael Cohen for perjury following his testimony in the trial last month.
During his trial testimony, Cohen said that he lied to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in 2019 when he said that Donald Trump and Allen Weisselberg did not ask him to inflate Trump’s personal statement.
“So, you lied under oath in February of 2019? Is that your testimony?” defense attorney Alina Habba asked in court.
“Yes,” Cohen responded.
Shown his 2019 testimony in court, Cohen subsequently reversed himself and said that his 2019 testimony was truthful, explaining the contradiction by clarifying that Trump speaks like a “mob boss” and that he indirectly asked for his statement to be inflated.
In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland sent today, Stefanik and Turner requested that the Department of Justice open an investigation into Cohen potentially committing perjury.
“That Mr. Cohen was willing to openly and brazenly state at trial that he lied to Congress on this specific issue is startling,” they wrote. “His willingness to make such a statement alone should necessitate an investigation.”
Last week, Stefanik sent a separate judicial complaint to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct related to the conduct of the judge overseeing Trump’s trial. In a statement to ABC News, a court representative said in response that the judge’s actions “speak for themselves.”
Nov 14, 1:18 PM EST
Judge stops expert’s testimony following state’s objection
Donald Trump’s lawyers abruptly stopped the testimony of their first expert witness — who was expected to testify for a full day or two — after Judge Engoron limited the topic areas of his testimony.
Steven Witkoff, a real estate investor and longtime friend of Trump’s, was brought into court by the defense team to testify that Trump’s Doral golf club was undervalued in Trump’s financial statements.
But Judge Engoron sustained an objection from the state barring any testimony about the valuation of Doral, significantly limiting Witkoff’s testimony and appearing to hamper the defense strategy proposed by Trump’s attorney Chris Kise.
Kise argued that the inaccuracies in Trump’s statement of financial condition can cut both ways: Even if some properties were overvalued, other properties like Doral were significantly undervalued and balanced out the statement, according to Kise.
“It is highly, extraordinarily relevant if there are assets that are undervalued substantially on those same statements,” Kise said. “They can’t look at this one-sided.”
State attorney Andrew Amer fiercely rebutted that argument, telling Engoron he should not take the defense’s position that the inconsistencies “come out in the wash.”
That argument appeared to convince Engoron, who said that overvaluations would not “insulate” a false valuation. He promised to sustain any objection that related to the value of Doral — an approach Kise described as “lunacy.”
“The reader of the financial statement has the right to know whether each particular number was accurate,” Engoron said. “They are looking for accuracy.”
Nov 14, 10:26 AM EST
Judge doesn’t address post Trump shared calling for his arrest
As court got underway this morning, Judge Engoron — who has said he has received harassing messages regarding his role in the trial — did not address Trump’s sharing of a post on his Truth Social platform calling for his arrest.
The former president yesterday shared a user’s post calling for the “citizens arrest” of Engoron and Attorney General Letitia James “for blatant election interference and harassment.”
When he expanded the case’s limited gag order earlier this month, Engoron said that his chambers had received hundreds of “harassing and threatening phone calls, voicemails, emails, letters, and packages” since the start of the trial.
The gag order does not prohibit attacks against Engoron himself or the New York attorney general.
Nov 14, 9:40 AM EST
Defense to call first expert witness
Donald Trump’s defense team plans to call their first of several expert witnesses to the stand today.
Steven Witkoff, a New York-based real estate investor and developer, is set to testify about his expert opinion that the Trump National Doral golf course in Miami was undervalued in Trump’s financial statement, despite the attorney general’s claim to the contrary.
The expert report Witkoff prepared for the case also criticized the finding from the state’s expert regarding the value of Trump’s 40 Wall Street property.
During a 2018 roundtable on tax reform, Trump called Witkoff a “pal” who he inspired to enter the real estate industry.
“You know, people don’t realize Steve started out as a lawyer — a very good lawyer, a top lawyer in New York. And then he said, ‘I’m going to go into the real estate business because I can do this, too,” Trump said. “He saw me do it, and he said, ‘If Trump can do it, I guess I can do it, right?'”
Nov 14, 9:02 AM EST
James, Trump respond as defense begins its case
In a video statement posted to social media, New York Attorney General Letitia James said that the testimony of Donald Trump Jr. yesterday failed to refute any of her case against Donald Trump and his adult sons.
“After spending a full day walking through a marketing presentation to sell us all on the greatness of the Trump Organization, the defendants did not make a single point to refute the case we brought against them,” James said of Trump Jr., who led off the defense’s case.
Trump’s eldest son, an executive VP with the family firm, functionally served as a summary witness to explain the history and notable assets of the Trump Organization, repeatedly using words like “spectacular” and “incredible” to spell out the details of Trump’s properties.
James, meanwhile, drew the ire of Donald Trump for appearing to smile in court.
“A.G. Letitia James is smirking all day long from her seat in Court, as New York continues to set records in murder and other violent crimes, and businesses flee to other States,” Trump wrote on Truth Social this morning, despite murders in New York City being down nearly 10% this year, according to the NYPD.
Nov 13, 5:55 PM EST
Court adjourns for day after tax lawyer’s testimony
The defense wrapped up the first day of its case with testimony from Donald Trump’s former external tax lawyer, Sheri Dillon, who returned to the witness stand to clarify her actions related to conservation easements at Trump’s properties.
Dillon previously testified during a lengthy and combative portion of the state’s case.
“Welcome back. I feel like I am at a reunion — Trump trial reunion,” Judge Engoron joked when Dillon returned to the courtroom.
Dillon, explaining a potential gap in email communications about specific deals, testified that she often communicated with Eric Trump over the phone.
“If I picked up the phone and talked to him, I would know he knew what he needed to know,” Dillon testified.
She also said she advised Trump’s appraiser, David McArdle, that the company could add 40 additional residential units at Trump National Golf Club in New York’s Westchester County by filing a new offering plan, according to an email shown in court. The clarification challenges the New York attorney general’s allegation that a $101 million increase in the value of undeveloped land was based on an unfounded plan by Eric Trump to add units to the property.
During a short cross-examination, state attorney Louis Solomon attempted to challenge Dillon’s authority to provide such legal information to McArdle.
“Do you know if a sponsor has a right to have an offering plan accepted for filing merely because the development meets the requirements for zoning?” Solomon asked.
“No, I do not,” she responded.
Dillon concluded her testimony, and court then adjourned for the day.
Nov 13, 5:41 PM EST
Trump Jr. acknowledges positive rapport with judge
Speaking outside the courthouse following his testimony for the defense, Donald Trump Jr. told ABC News that he seems to have a positive relationship with Judge Engoron.
“Perhaps there’s a New York personality there, but no I think he understood,” Trump Jr. said when ABC News suggested he and the judge appeared to get along. “I can’t help myself even in this very serious situation. If you take yourself too seriously the world sort of sucks. You got to have a little bit of fun with it, so I did.”
His relationship with the judge appears to stand in contrast to that of his father, who has accused Engoron of bias and insulted him from the witness stand.
“We had some quips in the courtroom the first time I was here,” Trump Jr. said of Engoron. “Sort of gave me a fist bump on the way out. I guess I had a rather snappy response to something that was — I can’t even remember what it was right now. He said, ‘That was really funny.'”
Asked by ABC News whether Trump Jr. shared his father’s views about the judge being biased, the son demurred.
“Listen, I don’t even know how far the gag order applies, so I don’t need to do that and put myself — I’m in enough crosshairs, guys,” he said.
Nov 13, 4:56 PM EST
Trump Jr. says aunt’s death made for a ‘rough day’
Following the completion of his testimony, Donald Trump Jr. made the first family comments acknowledging the death of his aunt, Maryanne Trump Barry, calling it “a rough day.”
“Obviously, a little bit of a rough day, but I’ve still got to deal with this stuff. We’ve got to keep doing it. That’s the nature of all of this. But no, it’s a rough day for myself and my family,” Trump Jr. said of the news that former President Trump’s sister had passed away at 86.
Trump Jr. also slammed New York Attorney General Letitia James for bringing the civil fraud case despite what Trump Jr. said was “no actual person complaining other than the attorney general herself.”
“Hopefully, one day the people of this great city will realize what’s going on. They’ll realize the destructive practices here. They’ll realize just how insane that is. And they’ll be begging for guys like Donald Trump to come back to New York City to reshape the skyline as he’s done for decades,” Trump Jr. said.
He said he does not plan to return to court for the continuation of the defense’s case tomorrow.
Nov 13, 3:43 PM EST
Donald Trump Jr. concludes testimony
Donald Trump Jr. stepped off the witness stand after roughly three hours of testimony.
His own attorney, Clifford Robert, concluded his direct examination by asking Trump Jr. about the fate of the Trump Organization.
“I guess a lot of that depends on what happens next November,” Trump Jr said, speculating that the company might be “sued into oblivion.”
Assistant New York Attorney General Colleen Faherty cross-examined Trump Jr. for less than ten minutes about the deterioration of Trump’s assets, including financial problems at 40 Wall Street and Trump’s licensed hotel in Hawaii. Trump Jr. appeared unfamiliar with the 40 Wall Street issues and said he was happy with the Hilton’s deal to buy out the Trump Organization’s Hawaii hotel licensing deal.
Nov 13, 2:54 PM EST
Trump Jr. says golf course site was ‘old-school New York mob job’
Donald Trump Jr., in testimony for the defense, touted the work of the Trump Organization to convert a landfill in the Bronx, New York, into a “absolutely incredible” golf course.
“It was raw dirt. It had been that way for a long time,” Trump Jr. said of the original site of Trump Links Ferry Point near the Whitestone Bridge.
“People were supposedly trying to build a golf course for years,” Trump Jr. said about previous efforts to build the facility, describing it as an “old-school New York mob job” where people got paid to move dirt around but not build anything.
Trump Jr. said that once his father got involved in the project, the site was successfully transformed in a matter of months.
Nov 13, 1:42 PM EST
Trump Jr. to get new and improved sketch
When he was last in court, Donald Trump Jr. took a particular interest in his courtroom sketch.
“He said, ‘Make me look sexy,'” the sketch artist Jane Rosenberg told ABC News. By some accounts, the result was underwhelming.
Rosenberg has another opportunity to draw Trump Jr. with his return to court, and she thinks the new iteration is coming along well.
“I think they get better every time,” she told ABC News.
Earlier in his testimony, Trump Jr. joked about a photo of his brother Eric Trump.
When the slideshow Trump Jr. was narrating displayed a professional headshot of his brother, Trump Jr. took a job at his younger sibling.
“A lot of Photoshop,” Trump Jr. joked.
Nov 13, 1:12 PM EST
Trump Jr. assails judge’s finding on Mar-a-Lago
In presenting a slideshow chronicling the Trump Organization’s properties, Donald Trump Jr. highlighted many of their luxury features and iconic views — implicitly suggesting their value.
That’s particularly true of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, which Judge Engoron in a pretrial ruling determined was worth only a fraction of the amount claimed by Donald Trump, because Trump signed a deed that restricted its use to a social club, thereby limiting its resale value.
Describing how he took “umbrage” to the judge’s determination that Mar-a-Lago was worth between $18 and $28 million, Trump Jr. highlighted specific features to challenge that finding. Showing an aerial photo of the property, Trump Jr. said that a nearby home whose size was dwarfed by the social club has been on sale for $50 million.
“You couldn’t build that atrium for $18 million today,” Trump Jr. said while presenting a photo of the building’s historic atrium.
Nov 13, 12:53 PM EST
With glossy slides, Trump Jr. recounts firm’s story
Donald Trump’s testimony in the defense’s case has so far centered around a slide show being presented by the defense, entitled “The Trump Story,” that paints a timeline of Donald Trump’s real estate acquisitions. When state attorneys objected to the glossy presentation — which Trump Jr. acknowledged was created by his marketing team — the judge allowed the slides, and thus permitted Trump Jr. to testify unrestrained about the company’s properties.
“He’s an artist with real estate. He sees the things other people don’t,” Trump Jr. said at one point when describing his father.
As he narrates the slide show, Trump Jr.’s testimony resembles a lecture on real estate, sprinkled with details about his family’s properties — such as the individual stones used to construct the Seven Springs estate or the bank safes at 40 Wall Street, which he said once stored gold from the Federal Reserve.
“They’re actually spectacular … it’s truly a mechanical work of art,” Trump Jr. said of the safes.
Referencing broken down historic properties that the company has transformed back to their former glory, Trump Jr. called such properties the “canvas” for his his “father’s art.”
“He understands and has an incredible vision that other people don’t,” Trump Jr. said.
After a particular lengthy response, Trump Jr. referenced his father’s own tendency to speak in prolonged monologues, joking, “I got half the genes.”
Nov 13, 11:06 AM EST
Trump Jr. details history of Trump Organization
Testifying for the defense, former President Trump’s eldest son described his father as a real estate “visionary” who “sees the sexiness in a real estate project,” creating value for the family business that cannot be captured on paper.
Donald Trump Jr. began his testimony with a quip after Judge Engoron welcomed him back to the stand following his testimony earlier in the month.
“I’d say it’s good to be here, but the attorney general would probably sue me for perjury,” Trump Jr. joked.
In his testimony, Trump Jr. described the Trump Organization as “a large family business,” with Trump and his eldest children at the top and other executives handling many of the details.
“If there were numbers and things, I would rely on them to give me that,” Trump Jr. said.
He recounted the history of the Trump Organization, beginning with his great-grandfather who he said built hotels in the Yukon Territories of Canada. His grandfather, Fred Trump, “started working on job sites around Queens, learned the trades” and eventually “created an incredible portfolio, by the time of his passing, of rental apartments in Brooklyn and Queens.”
A state attorney jokingly objected that references to the 1800s were outside the statute of limitations — then more seriously objected to the history lesson’s relevance.
“I think it is relevant to get the historical perspective — I find it interesting,” Judge Engoron said in overruling the objection. “Let him go ahead and say how great the Trump Organization is.”
Trump Jr. obliged.
“My father learned a lot of the business from him, but had some flair and saw New York City and Manhattan as the ultimate frontier,” he said. Speaking of Trump Tower, he said, “I think it would have been one of the first, I think great, ultra-luxury real estate emerging in Manhattan.”
Nov 13, 10:20 AM EST
Donald Trump Jr. takes the stand for the defense
“Would you like to call your first witness, defense?” Judge Arthur Engoron asked to begin court this morning.
“The defense calls Donald Trump Jr. to the stand,” defense attorney Clifford Robert responded.
Like his last time on the witness stand when he was called by state attorneys, Trump Jr. appears comfortable on the stand, punctuating his testimony with lighthearted remarks.
Robert began his direct examination with some questions about Trump Jr. ‘s biography, starting with his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania.
“Was a bartender for about 18 months,” Trump Jr. said about his first job out of college.
“Did you enjoy that?” Robert asked.
“I did,” said Trump Jr., joking that he had a challenging conversation with his father when he began that job.
Nov 13, 9:45 AM EST
Trump Jr., arriving in court, met with chants of ‘crime family’
Donald Trump Jr. and his defense lawyers arrived at the New York State Supreme Courthouse this morning to be met with a small crowd of protestors chanting “crime family.”
Trump Jr. did not make a statement before entering the courthouse, but offered a brief response to a question about his expected testimony.
Asked what he plans on saying today on the stand, he replied, “We’ll see what I’m asked.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James arrived at court shortly after Trump Jr. and took a seat in the courtroom with her staff.
Nov 13, 9:06 AM EST
Donald Trump Jr. attends UFC event ahead of testimony
Donald Trump Jr. took in some ultimate fighting ahead of his scheduled return to the witness stand this morning.
Trump Jr. attended a UFC doubleheader at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night with his father, in addition to Tucker Carlson, Kid Rock, and UFC president Dana White.
“I legitimately can’t think of a better squad to roll with,” Trump Jr. posted on social media.
Earlier that day while speaking at a campaign rally in New Hampshire, Donald Trump appeared to joke about appointing White to a position in a potential future administration.
“He’s a guy I’d like to make my Defense Chief. I wouldn’t call him my defense chief. I’d call him my ‘Offense Chief.’ He’d be my Offense Chief,” Trump said.
Nov 13, 8:32 AM EST
Defense to begin presenting its case
As Trump’s legal team prepares to begin presenting its case this morning, defense attorney Alina Habba says responsibility for the financial statements that the New York attorney general says are fraudulent lies with Trump’s external accounting firm.
Previewing the defense’s case during an appearance on Fox’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Habba also said the banks that loaned money to the Trump Organization were responsible for conducting their own due diligence regarding Trump’s financial statements.
The state rested its case last week in the sixth week of the trial. The defense has said they expect their case to wrap up by Dec. 15.
Habba also suggested that Donald Trump plans to file a motion seeking a mistrial.
While Habba declined to comment on alleged misconduct by Judge Arthur Engoron’s clerk — which she is prohibited from doing due to the limited gag order handed down by the judge — she said the issue would be addressed in their mistrial motion “very soon.”
“I actually can’t tell you why, because I am gagged. I can tell you that we will be filing papers to address all of those issues,” Habba said.
However, Habba downplayed the chance the motion would be favorably decided Engoron.
“The problem we have is the judge is the one who is going to make those decisions, and he has proven himself to be quite motivated by the other side,” Habba said.
Nov 11, 1:51 PM EST
Court administrator responds to Stefanik’s complaint
In response to Rep. Elise Stefanik’s letter of complaint against Judge Engoron that she filed Friday with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, a spokesperson for New York State Office of Court Administration has issued a statement.
“Judge Engoron’s actions and rulings in this matter are all part of the public record and speak for themselves,” said Office of Court Administration communications director Al Baker. “It is inappropriate to comment further.”
Nov 10, 8:17 PM EST
Rep. Stefanik files complaint against Judge Engoron
Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York has filed a judicial complaint against Judge Arthur Engoron.
The letter, addressed to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, largely concerns the judge’s rulings in the case and his public statements, and is unlikely to impact the proceedings of the trial.
“Judge Engoron’s bizarre and biased behavior is making New York’s judicial system a laughingstock,” Stefanik, a staunch Trump supporter, wrote.
The lengthy letter echoes some of Trump’s attacks on the trial, criticizing Engoron’s limited gag order in the case, the actions of his legal clerk, his summary judgment ruling, and his comments during Trump’s testimony this week.
“Simply put, Judge Engoron has displayed a clear judicial bias against the defendant throughout the case, breaking several rules in the New York Code of Judicial Conduct,” Stefanik wrote.
(NEW YORK) — Interstate 10 in Los Angeles re-opened Sunday night following a fire that led to its closure the prior weekend, officials said.
“ALL LANES ARE NOW OPEN ON INTERSTATE 10 BETWEEN ALAMEDA ST. AND THE EAST LA INTERCHANGE,” the California Highway Patrol announced in a post on X Sunday night.
At a press conference earlier in the day, Vice President Kamala Harris saif the freeway was close to opening.
“Tomorrow, the commute is back on,” Harris said during the Sunday press conference alongside California Gov. Gavin Newsom, LA Mayor Karen Bass and local officials.
Meanwhile, authorities are seeking to identify a person of interest in connection with the fire, which damaged a large portion of the I-10 freeway near downtown Los Angeles last week.
Cal Fire officials said the fire, which was reported shortly after midnight on Nov. 11, was determined to be arson.
Cal Fire released photos of a person of interest sought in the alleged arson. The individual was described as a man of unknown race, approximately 6′ tall and 170 to 190 pounds. The person was captured on surveillance footage wearing a black hoodie, blue shorts, gray shoes, a green scarf, a knee brace on his right knee, and a dark backpack.
“The subject appeared to have visible burn injuries on his left leg,” Cal Fire said in an alert on Saturday.
The person left the immediate area of the I-10 freeway and Alameda Street and has not been located, Cal Fire said.
The fire broke out underneath the I-10 — a major east-to-west artery for the city — and ripped through numerous wooden pallets, trailers, and vehicles stored below the raised interstate, officials said previously. The out-of-control fire burned for three hours and spread over what authorities described as the equivalent of six football fields before it was extinguished. More than 160 firefighters responded to put out the blaze.
About 16 people living underneath the highway were evacuated to shelters, officials said.
A stretch of I-10 freeway between Alameda Street and the East Los Angeles interchange had been closed since the fire.
A 250-person crew is currently working 24 hours a day at the site to shore up damaged pillars and replace wood posts and steel beams, the California Department of Transportation said.
(WASHINGTON) — A Washington, D.C., appeals court will hear arguments Monday regarding former President Donald Trump’s limited gag order in his federal election interference case.
The hearing, before a panel of judges, is Trump’s latest effort to lift the limited gag order issued by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan that prohibits Trump from making or reposting statements statements “publicly targeting” special counsel Jack Smith and his staff, as well as targeting the judge’s staff and the staff of other D.C. district court personnel.
At the moment, the appeals court has paused the order as Trump continues to fight it.
Trump’s lawyers argue that the limited gag order violates his First Amendment rights, while the special counsel has urged the judge to impose restrictions on Trump in order to protect potential jurors.
During the hearing on Monday, Trump’s attorneys and prosecutors will each get 20 minutes to argue their case, according to the court order.
Trump in August pleaded not guilty to charges of undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 election by enlisting a slate of so-called “fake electors,” using the Justice Department to conduct “sham election crime investigations,” trying to enlist the vice president to “alter the election results,” and promoting false claims of a stolen election as the Jan. 6 riot raged — all in an effort to subvert democracy and remain in power.
The former president has denied all wrongdoing and denounced the charges as “a persecution of a political opponent.”
Chutkan issued the limited gag order last month after Trump made comments and online posts that included calling Smith “deranged” and a “thug.”
Last week, a New York appeals court temporarily lifted a similar limited gag order imposed by Judge Arthur Engoron in Trump’s civil fraud trial, citing constitutional concerns over Trump’s free speech rights.
“Considering the constitutional and statutory rights at issue, an interim stay is granted,” New York Judge Friedman of the appellate division’s first department wrote in his order.
