(NEW YORK) — Four months before FTX collapsed into bankruptcy, Sam Bankman-Fried told the jury Monday at his federal fraud and conspiracy trial he confronted Caroline Ellison with concerns Alameda Research — his companion hedge fund — could become insolvent.
He testified that he told Ellison, who was then co-chief executive of Alameda and is Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend, that the hedge fund should have hedged against some of its risky investments.
“She started crying,” Bankman-Fried said. “She also offered to step down.”
Part of Bankman-Fried’s defense strategy is to deflect blame for the FTX collapse. Ellison pleaded guilty to criminal charges and testified under a cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors in New York. She has testified that she committed fraud with Bankman-Fried and at his direction.
She also testified earlier this month that Bankman-Fried thought there was a “5% chance he would become president,” and that he believed in utilitarianism and thought rules against lying or stealing inhibited his ability to maximize the greatest benefit for the most people.
Bankman-Fried conceded on the witness stand Monday he made mistakes but testified that he committed no fraud.
“Did you defraud anyone?” defense attorney Marc Cohen asked. “No, I did not,” Bankman-Fried answered.
“Did you take customer funds?” Cohen asked, to which Bankman-Fried responded: “No.”
Bankman-Fried is on trial for what federal prosecutors have described as “one of the biggest financial frauds in American history.” The former crypto billionaire faces seven counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering centered on his alleged use of customer deposits on the crypto trading platform FTX to cover losses at his hedge fund, pay off loans and buy lavish real estate, among other personal expenses.
He has pleaded not guilty to all counts. If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to 110 years in prison.
The defense has tried to convince the jury that Bankman-Fried was unaware of how dire his company’s finances were. He testified he traveled to the Middle East in October 2022 because he felt Alameda was solvent and in no danger of going bankrupt. Otherwise, he said, “I would have been in full-on crisis mode.”
Earlier this month, prosecutors explored Bankman-Fried’s unusual living arrangements and the luxurious lifestyle he’d been living in the Bahamas that was allegedly paid for, illegally, with customer and investor money.
Bankman-Fried stepped down from his role at FTX in November 2022 amid a rapid collapse that ended with the company declaring bankruptcy. Prosecutors charged Bankman-Fried the following month with an array of alleged crimes focused on a scheme to defraud investors.
In an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in November 2022, Bankman-Fried denied knowing “there was any improper use of customer funds.”
“I really deeply wish that I had taken like a lot more responsibility for understanding what the details were of what was going on there,” Bankman-Fried said at the time. “A lot of people got hurt, and that’s on me.”
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York in a $250 million lawsuit that could alter the personal fortune and real estate empire that helped propel Trump to the White House.
Trump, his sons Eric and Don Jr., and 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:
Oct 30, 9:42 AM EDT
Former Trump Organization VP to continue testimony
Former Trump Organization Vice President Raymond Flores is scheduled to return to the witness stand this morning.
Flores’ testimony, which began on Oct. 20, was postponed after a COVID-19 exposure delayed proceedings last week.
Flores was asked during his testimony earlier this month about his role in reviewing Trump’s financial statements and overseeing his golf courses, but said he could recall few details about his work in those areas.
Oct 30, 9:42 AM EDT
Former Trump Organization VP to continue testimony
Former Trump Organization Vice President Raymond Flores is scheduled to return to the witness stand this morning.
Flores’ testimony, which began on Oct. 20, was postponed after a COVID-19 exposure delayed proceedings last week.
Flores was asked during his testimony earlier this month about his role in reviewing Trump’s financial statements and overseeing his golf courses, but said he could recall few details about his work in those areas.
Oct 27, 4:21 PM EDT
Trump pays $15,000 in gag order fines
Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers have paid $15,000 to the New York Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection on behalf of the former president for his two gag order violations.
Judge Arthur Engoron fined Trump twice for violating his limited gag order prohibiting public statements about members of his staff.
Trump was fined $10,000 this week for a statement he made to reporters in court, which Engoron determined was in reference to his clerk. He was fined $5,000 last Friday for inadvertently keeping a Truth Social post — which prompted the initial gag order — on his campaign website after deleting it from his Truth Social account.
“Without waiving any rights or remedies, including, without limitation, any rights to appeal said orders, on behalf of our client, we enclose herewith a check from our attorney trust account in the amount of $15,000 in accordance with the court’s orders,” defense lawyer Alina Hanna wrote in a filing posted today.
Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise signaled in court Thursday that Trump will likely appeal the most recent $10,000 violation.
State attorney Louis Solomon concluded his direct examination of tax lawyer Sheri Dillon after a series of questions about an appraisal of former President Donald Trump’s Seven Springs estate in New York.
A 2015 appraisal of the estate valued the entire property at $56.5 million, according to documents presented at trial, though Trump’s financial statements valued the property between $261 and $291 million from 2011 to 2021.
Dillon, who Judge Arthur Engoron deemed a hostile witness Thursday, struggled to recall with whom at the Trump Organization she might have discussed the appraisal. She added that she could not recall if she mentioned the appraisal in relation to the value of the estate in Trump’s financial statements.
“I have no idea if I told them the [appraised] value of the property,” Dillon testified. She later added, “It’s not like every Monday we talk about conservation easements.”
Oct 27, 1:36 PM EDT
AG sets schedule for testimony from Donald Trump, his children
New York Attorney General Letitia James will likely rest her case against former President Donald Trump during the week of Nov. 6 following at least four days of testimony from Trump and his children.
State attorney Kevin Wallace told Judge Arthur Engoron that the state plans to call Donald Trump Jr. on Wednesday, followed by Eric and Ivanka Trump on the following Thursday and Friday, respectively.
The state’s final witness, the former president, will likely begin his direct examination on Monday, Nov. 6, according to Wallace.
“We like to keep families together,” Engoron joked as Wallace set the schedule.
Trump’s lawyer, Chris Kise, previously told ABC News that he plans to recall some Trump Organization witnesses for the defense’s own case, meaning the trial is likely to stretch into November or later before concluding.
Oct 26, 2:47 PM EDT
Judge finds Trump’s testimony was ‘hollow and untrue’
The sworn testimony of former President Trump in court yesterday was “hollow and untrue,” according to a written order issued today by Judge Engoron.
The order, which memorializes yesterday’s ruling that Trump violated the case’s limited gag order, offers a stronger repudiation of Trump’s sworn testimony than the judge articulated yesterday, when he called Trump’s testimony “not credible.”
“I then conducted a brief hearing, during which Donald Trump testified, under oath that he was referring to Michael Cohen. However, as the trier of fact, I find this testimony rings hollow and untrue,” Engoron wrote in his order.
Like his in-court statements yesterday, Engoron remarked that Trump’s hallway statement about “a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even more partisan than he is” was inconsistent with how Trump frequently refers to Cohen. Going as far as to cite the Oxford English Dictionary, Engoron wrote that “alongside” is more likely to refer to his clerk than the witness, who sits below the judge.
“Using imprecise language as an excuse to create plausible ambiguity about whether defendant violated this Court’s unequivocal gag order is not a defense; the subject of Donald Trump’s public statement to the press was unmistakably clear,” Engoron wrote.
Trump’s lawyers said they plan to appeal the order.
Oct 26, 2:07 PM EDT
Judge allows testimony about Trump’s charity
State attorney Louis Solomon focused on the activities of The Donald J. Trump Foundation, Trump’s defunct charity organization, during his direct examination of tax lawyer Sheri Dillon.
Dillon, who worked with Trump between 2005 and 2020, testified that she received a letter from the New York attorney general in 2016 regarding a potential violation by Trump’s charity, which she discussed with then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.
Solomon’s line of questioning prompted an objection from Trump’s attorney Chris Kise, who argued that Trump’s charity was irrelevant to the state’s case. But Judge Engoron overruled the objection.
“To me, this case is not just about financial statements being submitted to insurance companies. It is about whether or not defendants were committing fraud,” Engoron said. “If the evidence shows a particular defendant was consistently acting fraudulently, the law says there can be particular forms of equitable relief.”
Dillon testified that she could not recall if Trump Organization executives notified potential insurers about the violation.
Then-New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood sued the Trump Foundation in 2019 for using money set aside for charitable purposes to settle business disputes and cover political expenses. Trump was eventually ordered to pay $2 million to various charities as part of a settlement.
Oct 26, 11:39 AM EDT
Judge upholds Trump’s $10,000 fine
Judge Engoron is upholding Donald Trump’s $10,000 fine for violating the case’s limited gag order yesterday.
During a break, Engoron said he reviewed the video of Trump’s hallway statement and reached the same conclusion as yesterday: that Trump was referring to Engoron’s law clerk when he told reporters that the judge has a “person who is very partisan sitting alongside of him.” The gag order prohibits public comments about the judge’s staff.
Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise had argued that a later portion of Trump’s statement supported that he was referring to Michael Cohen, rather than the judge’s law clerk.
But Engoron disagreed, saying, “That was a clear transition from one person to another, and I think the person he originally referred to is very clear.”
Oct 26, 11:02 AM EDT
Defense asks judge to reconsider gag order fine
Defense attorney Chris Kise requested that Judge Engoron again reconsider his decision to fine Donald Trump $10,000 for violating the case’s limited gag order yesterday, offering a broader criticism of the gag order based on First Amendment grounds.
“This is open, public, and the defendant has a First Amendment right to comment on what he sees and perceives as a potential source of bias,” Kise said.
Like yesterday, Kise maintained that Trump was referring to Michael Cohen, rather than the judge’s law clerk, during his hallway statement in which he said the judge has a “person who is very partisan sitting alongside of him.” Trump attested to this on the stand yesterday, though Engoron found that Trump was “not credible.”
“The review of the statement does not support the sanction,” Kise said.
Even if Trump was referring to the clerk, Kise made a broader argument that the gag order itself was “constitutionally infirm,” considering Trump is the “leading candidate” for the presidency.
“I don’t think that the order survives constitutional scrutiny,” Kise said.
State attorney Andrew Amer argued in support of the gag order, which he said was narrowly limited to withstand constitutional scrutiny.
“A federal judge in D.C. has issued a similar order to protect herself,” Amer added, referring to a ruling in Trump’s election interference case.
Judge Engoron said he would reconsider the fine but stood by his gag order.
Oct 26, 10:19 AM EDT
Insurance underwriter to testify
An underwriter who worked on a Trump Organization insurance policy to cover legal expenses incurred by the firm’s executives is scheduled to testify this morning.
Michael Holl, an underwriter at Tokio Marine HCC, worked on the Trump Organization’s Directors and Officers insurance policy in 2016 and 2017, according to the New York attorney general.
With Donald Trump about to be inaugurated president at the time, the Trump Organization attempted to increase their policy’s limit to $50,000,000, which was ten times higher than their previous limit, according to the attorney general.
“In response to specific questioning from the underwriters, the Trump Organization personnel represented that there was no material litigation or inquiry from anyone that could potentially lead to a claim under the D&O coverage,” the state alleged in their complaint.
However, four months before that representation was made, Trump Organization executives learned about an ongoing investigation by the attorney general into the Trump Foundation as well as Trump family members, according to the complaint.
Oct 26, 9:34 AM EDT
Trump, AG offer contrasting takes on Cohen’s testimony
After a dramatic day in court yesterday — including surprise testimony from Donald Trump, a $10,000 gag order violation fine, and inconsistent testimony from Michael Cohen — both New York Attorney General Letitia James and the former president took to social media to describe the state of the trial.
“Their ‘star’ witness lied like a dog on the stand today,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post overnight.
In a video statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, James defended her case against Trump as a multi-year effort built on thousands of documents and hundreds of witnesses, rather than simply the testimony of Cohen.
“The defendants’ counsel attempted and failed to discredit our entire case,” James said.
Judge Arthur Engoron yesterday denied a motion from the defense to dismiss the case following the conclusion of Cohen’s testimony, saying that Trump’s former lawyer was not the case’s “star witness.”
“There’s enough evidence in this case to fill this courtroom,” Engoron quipped.
Oct 25, 5:07 PM EDT
AG downplays Cohen’s testimony as Trump slams it
Following the adjournment of court for the day, Trump and New York Attorney General Letitia James offered contrasting views of the testimony of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.
Trump, speaking to reporters in a courthouse hallway, continued to claim that today was his Perry Mason moment.
“He was caught lying like no one has ever lied,” he said of Cohen. “It was better than a Perry Mason moment, and that should be the end of the case.”
The former president also criticized Judge Engoron for not ending the trial following Cohen’s testimony, claiming he is being “railroaded.”
“Any other judge, this would be the end of the case,” Trump said.
James, speaking separately to reporters outside court, downplayed Cohen’s importance to the case.
“It’s also important to know that Michael Cohen is not the main witness,” she said.
“His evidence has been corroborated by the mountains of evidence, enough evidence to fill the courtroom,” the AG said, echoing a phrase Engoron used earlier.
Oct 25, 4:34 PM EDT
Cohen, following testimony, calls Trump ‘a defeated man’
Speaking outside after his testimony was complete and court was adjourned for the day, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen portrayed his testimony as successful and vital to holding Trump accountable, despite the contradictions in some of his answers.
Cohen maintained that he was not intimidated by Trump being in court during his testimony.
“When you looked him in the eye, Michael, what did you see?” ABC News reporter Aaron Katersky asked him.
“I saw a defeated man. I saw somebody that knows that it’s the end of the Trump Organization,” Cohen said.
Oct 25, 4:10 PM EDT
‘There’s enough evidence to fill this courtroom,’ says judge
Judge Arthur Engoron vehemently denied the defense’s request to end the trial following former Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s contradictory testimony.
“The government’s key witness has fallen flat on his face,” Trump attorney Clifford Robert said when requesting the case be dismissed.
“Absolutely denied. This case has evidence, credible or not, all over the place,” said Engoron, who disagreed that Cohen was the case’s star witness.
“There’s enough evidence to fill this courtroom,” Engoron said.
During Cohen’s redirect examination, state attorney Colleen Faherty attempted to square Cohen’s inconsistent answers by asking about his 2019 congressional testimony again. Cohen testified yesterday that he was “tasked by Trump” to inflate Trump’s reported net worth, then today said his 2019 testimony, in which he said Trump never directedly told him to do so, was correct.
“Donald Trump speaks like a mob boss … he tells you what he wants without specifically telling you,” Cohen said in explaining the inconsistent response. “We understood what he wanted.”
Oct 25, 3:34 PM EDT
Trump storms out after Cohen reverses testimony
Former President Trump stormed out of courtroom after the judge denied his request for an immediate directed verdict to end the trial.
Defense attorney Clifford Robert asked Judge Engoron to end the trial after Michael Cohen offered contradictory testimony about his 2019 congressional testimony.
During this 2019 testimony, Cohen was directly asked, “Did Mr. Trump direct you or Mr. Weisselberg to inflate the numbers for his personal statement?” referring to then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.
“Did he ask me to inflate the numbers? Not that I recall,” Cohen responded.
Confronted with this testimony before today’s lunch break by Alina Habba, Cohen testified that he lied during the 2019 testimony.
Shown the same testimony again by Robert after lunch, Cohen reversed course.
“I stand with that response, not that I recall, no,” Cohen said, indicating his 2019 testimony was truthful.
Sitting at the counsel table, Trump mumbled inaudibly, threw up his hands, and gestured to Robert, who walked over to Trump from the lectern where he was questioning Cohen.
Trump and Robert whispered for roughly ten seconds, after which Robert returned to the lectern and asked for a directed verdict.
“I can’t think of anything more appropriate now,” Robert said.
“Denied,” Engoron immediately responded.
Trump immediately stood up, turned around, and marched out of the courtroom flanked by Secret Service agents.
“The witness just admitted that we won the trial, and the judge should end this trial immediately,” Trump told reporters as he entered the hallway.
Oct 25, 3:05 PM EDT
‘Don’t do it again or it will be worse,’ judge tells Trump
“Don’t do it again or it will be worse,” Judge Engoron told former President Trump after fining him $10,000 for violating the limited gag order he imposed prohibiting comments about his staff.
The judge made the comment after Trump’s lawyers raised concerns with the sanction.
Trump attorney Chris Kise specifically criticized Engoron for not believing Trump’s testimony, which the judge described as “not credible.”
“I think the speaker needs to be taken at face value,” Kise said.
Trump attorneys Alina Habba and Clifford Robert also criticized how closely Engoron appears to work with his clerk during the trial, which they described as unorthodox.
“I make the final decisions. I value input from both of my law clerks. Every judge does things differently,” Engoron said.
When Trump took the stand, the former president sat still but appeared unfazed by the sudden turn of the events.
While Engoron issued his ruling, Trump sat with his arms crossed at the counsel table and briefly conferred with Kise.
Oct 25, 2:47 PM EDT
Judge fines Trump $10,000 for violating gag order
Judge Engoron fined former President Trump $10,000 for violating a limited gag order after deciding that Trump referred disparagingly to his law clerk during a statement in the hallway.
Trump briefly took the witness stand, raising his hand and stating his name “Donald John Trump, New York.”
Engoron asked Trump “Did you say, ‘This judge is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside of him?'”
Trump responded “Yes,” but insisted he was referring to Michael Cohen, who was seated next to the judge in the witness chair.
“You sure you didn’t mean the person on the other side?” Engoron asked, referring to his law clerk, whom Trump previously disparaged in a social media post that the judge ordered him to take down.
“Yes I’m sure,” Trump answered.
Trump conceded his social media post was “maybe unfair” but he added he thinks “she’s very unfair.”
Engoron decided Trump’s hallway statement must have referred to his clerk because “there’s a barrier” between the bench and Cohen, and he suggested Trump would have called Cohen by name.
The defense immediately balked at the fine.
“I just don’t think there’s any clear record here,” defense attorney Chris Kise said.
Oct 25, 2:35 PM EDT
Trump takes stand for gag order hearing
Trump been sworn in as a witness for a hearing Judge Engoron is holding on whether he violated the limited gag order Engoron imposed earlier in the trial.
The former president then took the stand.
Oct 25, 1:52 PM EDT
Trump mum on private conference with judge
After Judge Engoron raised concerns that Trump had possibly violated the limited gag order the judge had imposed during the trial, Trump and his lawyers remained inside the courtroom at the start of the lunch break for a 25-minute conference that was sealed to the press.
Afterward, when asked by reporters about the private conference, Trump responded, “I can’t tell you.”
Trump otherwise praised his lawyer’s cross examination of Michael Cohen, who admitted he lied under oath on multiple occasions.
“That was a Perry Mason moment,” Trump said.
Oct 25, 1:33 PM EDT
‘President Trump makes you relevant,’ attorney scolds Cohen
Defense attorney Alina Habba’s cross-examination of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen featured frequent objections, cross talk and nonresponsive or argumentative answers that often breached customary courtroom decorum.
“You didn’t ask me a yes-or-no question,” Cohen scolded Habba at one point. “Yes I did,” Habba shot back.
Cohen at times resisted answering questions, either objecting to them or insisting he did not understand them, while Habba paced the floor, blaring her questions into a hand-held microphone as Trump observed from the defense table.
“President Trump makes you relevant,” Habba chastised Cohen. “If you didn’t work for President Trump you wouldn’t make most of your income today.”
Cohen eventually conceded that he makes his living because of his prior relationship with Trump.
“Outside of your two podcasts, your merchandise and your books, is there any other form of income in your life?” Habba asked. “No,” Cohen answered.
Habba’s cross-examination concluded with a pointed question meant to question Cohen’s motive for cooperating with the attorney general’s investigation.
“Did you ever ask President Trump to pardon you while he was in the White House?” Habba asked.
“No,” Cohen said.
“And he didn’t pardon you?” she asked.
“No,” Cohen replied.
Oct 25, 1:15 PM EDT
Judge threatens to enforce gag order in potential misunderstanding
After the first break of the day, Judge Engoron threatened to penalize Trump after what Engoron said was a “dangerous disobeyal” of the gag order he imposed prohibiting comments about his staff.
“I am very protective of my staff, as I should be. I don’t want anybody killed,” said Engoron, who handed down the limited gag order earlier in the trial after Trump made a social media post about his clerk.
Citing Associated Press reporting, Engoron expressed concern that Trump made a comment in the hallway about “a person who is much more partisan sitting alongside him.”
Since Engoron’s clerk usually sits to his right, the judge interpreted Trump’s comment as referring to her.
“It is very easy for the public or anyone to know who this person is,” Engoron said.
Trump’s attorney Chris Kise said there was a misunderstanding, clarifying that Trump was referring to Michael Cohen, who has been sitting in the witness stand to Engoron’s left. Kise attested that Trump confirmed to him that he was referring to Cohen.
“That’s the way I read the statement,” Kise said. “He is tired of listening to what he is hearing. It is very partisan.”
Engoron did not impose any penalty and took Kise’s explanation “under advisement.”
Oct 25, 12:49 PM EDT
‘We will win,’ Trump tells reporters regarding case
Speaking to reporters during a break after his lawyer Alina Habba grilled Michael Cohen for over an hour, Trump continued his attacks on his former attorney.
“[He] went to jail for lying, [and] this is their only witness,” Trump said of Cohen. “When you think about it, it’s pretty amazing.”
Trump said that despite the lack of a jury, he would win the case.
“We will win because the facts are on our side to a level that nobody’s ever seen anything like that before,” Trump said.
The case will be decided by Judge Engoron, who already determined in a pretrial ruling that Trump had engaged in repeated fraud.
Oct 25, 12:37 PM EDT
‘You are very good at blaming other people,’ lawyer chides Cohen
Judge Engoron encouraged the attorneys in the case to be respectful of one another as the sparring continued during the cross-examination of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen.
After Assistant Attorney General Colleen Faherty attempted to object to why a news article referenced by the defense was not entered into evidence, defense attorney Chris Kise responded, “Just sit down and you will find out.”
Cohen rarely looked toward Trump, largely directing his attention at Habba as she posed questions and shot back comments.
“You are very good at blaming other people,” Habba observed to Cohen at one point during his testimony.
After Engoron called for the attorneys to be respectful, Kise retorted: “Respect is not something you get — it’s something you earn.”
Oct 25, 12:21 PM EDT
‘Why are you screaming at me?’ Cohen asks defense attorney
Confrontational outbursts punctuated the ongoing cross-examination of Michael Cohen as defense attorney Alina Habba attempted to confront the former Trump attorney with nearly a decade of his past statements about his ex-boss.
Habba showed Cohen portions of his books — one of which was handed out in court — as well as past comments on social media and media interviews in which Cohen heaped praise on Trump before Cohen broke with Trump in 2018.
“I can tell you that Mr. Trump’s memory is fantastic, and I’ve never come [across] a situation where Mr. Trump has said something that is not accurate,” Cohen told CNN in 2015 in a quote that was read aloud by Habba in court.
Habba also read from an ABC News story in which Cohen said he admired Trump and that he had read Trump’s book, “The Art of the Deal,” twice while in high school.
“I have answered every question you want. Why are you screaming at me?” Cohen asked Habba at one point after a line of questions related to his 2015 CNN appearance.
“Do I have animosity towards him? Yes, I do,” Cohen said about Trump, as the former president sat just feet away from him.
“You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump, haven’t you?” Habba asked.
“Yes,” Cohen said.
Oct 25, 10:54 AM EDT
Defense resumes heated cross-examination of Michael Cohen
The heated cross-examination of Michael Cohen resumed with the state attorney general’s office accusing defense lawyers of “showmanship” and the judge stepping in to referee.
Trump attorney Alina Habba accused Cohen of perjuring himself when he pleaded guilty in 2018 to criminal conduct including tax evasion, among other crimes. Cohen testified yesterday that “there was no tax evasion. At best, it could be characterized as a tax omission.”
Habba said that testimony amounted to perjury. Collen Faherty, a lawyer for the state, accused Habba of “showmanship” and “a little bit of a stunt.”
Habba shot back, “This is not showmanship. I’m just doing my job.”
Another Trump lawyer, Chris Kise, interjected, “There is nothing wrong with calling a liar a liar. Perjury is perjury. The attorney general is trying to cover for an extraordinarily defective witness.”
Judge Engoron sided with the defense but instructed Habba to not use the word “perjury,” prompting Trump to shake his head.
“Yesterday was the first time you admitted in open court that you lied to Judge Pauley?” Habba asked, referring to the federal judge who took Cohen’s plea.
“In open court, yes,” Cohen responded.
Oct 25, 10:23 AM EDT
‘We’re a nation in decline,’ Trump says
Addressing reporters in the hallway before he entered the courtroom, Trump spoke about the current House speaker race, his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, and his false allegations of a rigged election.
“We’re a nation in decline, all because of a rigged and stolen election,” Trump said before entering court for the resumption of Michael Cohen’s cross-examination.
Before Cohen returned to the stand, defense attorney Alina Habba requested that Judge Engoron and his clerk refrain from any distracting behavior.
“It is incredibly distracting when there are eye rolls and constant whispering at the bench,” said Habba, who added that the judge she clerked for earlier in her career was “very strict.”
Oct 25, 9:48 AM EDT
Manhattan prosecutors watching Cohen’s testimony
Susan Hoffinger, who is leading Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s criminal hush money case against Donald Trump, is in attendance at the trial this morning. With Cohen serving as a key witness in that case, Hoffinger also was in court yesterday to hear Cohen’s direct examination.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is also back in the courtroom for the second day of Cohen’s testimony.
Seated in the gallery behind her team of lawyers, James encounters Trump each time he enters and exits the courtroom, though it appears the two rarely make eye contact.
Oct 25, 8:37 AM EDT
Michael Cohen to return to witness stand
Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen is set to face a grueling day of cross examination, as defense lawyers attempt to discredit him after his potentially damaging testimony yesterday.
Calm and confident when answering questions from a state lawyer, Cohen dealt a blow to his former boss early in his testimony yesterday when he said he “reverse engineered” Trump’s financial statements to “achieve the number” Trump wanted, inflating the values of assets such as Trump Park Avenue, Trump World Tower, and the Miss Universe Pageant to achieve Trump’s desired figure — though his testimony was notably devoid of notes, communications, or draft financials to support his claims.
Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba hammered at Cohen’s inconsistencies during the first hour of cross-examination, confronting Cohen with his past guilty pleas and history of false testimony. A disbarred lawyer, Cohen’s answers grew combative at times, often responding to questions with “objection” or “asked and answered.”
Trump said in a Truth Social post this morning that he plans to attend court for a second day in a row. In a social media post overnight, he described Cohen’s testimony yesterday as a “complete and total disaster.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James offered a contrasting opinion of Cohen’s testimony in a video statement posted to social media.
“Donald Trump lives in a fantasy land. He directed those around him to lie and scheme to make his fantasy a reality,” James said.
Oct 24, 5:37 PM EDT
Cohen combative during forceful cross-examination
Michael Cohen underwent a forceful cross-examination by Trump attorney Alina Habba in the day’s final court session.
“You are not on Mea Culpa. You are not on your podcast, and you are not on CNN. You’re here with me,” Habba instructed Trump’s former attorney during the questioning.
Compared to Cohen’s direct examination — when Trump could often be seen conferring with the lawyers by his side, examining exhibits, or passing notes around — Trump had a more positive demeanor during the cross.
Cohen himself grew combative at parts of the questioning, responding “objection” and “asked and answered” as if he were a lawyer at counsel table, rather than a witness on the stand.
“You have lied under oath numerous times, isn’t that correct, Mr. Cohen?” Habba asked at one point.
“That is correct,” Cohen replied.
Habba even admitted that she was enjoying herself during the questioning, after Judge Engoron offered to cut testimony short for the day.
“It is entertaining — I am happy to go all night,” Habba said.
Exiting court at the end of the afternoon, Cohen declined to comment about the ongoing cross-examination.
“He’s a disgraced felon, and that’s the way it’s coming out,” Trump said on his way out.
Oct 24, 4:36 PM EDT
‘This witness is out of control,’ Trump attorney says of Cohen
Trump attorney Alina Habba began her cross-examination by having Michael Cohen recount the criminal acts related to his 2018 guilty plea.
“Mr. Cohen, what did you respond?” Habba asked while reading a transcript from his 2018 plea proceeding.
“Guilty, your honor,” Cohen said aloud in court.
Habba also read from a sentencing memorandum related to Cohen’s plea in which prosecutors wrote that Cohen’s crimes “were marked by a pattern of deception that permeated his professional life.”
When Habba asked if Cohen lied to his wife about evading taxes, Cohen responded by saying “objection” and attempting to cite legal precedent.
“You can’t object. It’s a yes or no question,” Habba said.
“He is a serial liar, and he lied to his wife,” defense lawyer Chris Kise told the judge about why the question is relevant. He later added, “This witness is completely out of control.”
Oct 24, 4:29 PM EDT
Defense begins cross-examination of Cohen
Following the conclusion of the state’s direct examination of Michael Cohen, Trump attorney Alina Habba has begun what is expected to be a lengthy cross-examination.
“You understand what ‘under oath’ means?” Habba asked Cohen at the start of her cross-examination.
“Yes,” Cohen said, after which Habba began to describe Cohen’s previous criminal conduct.
Oct 24, 4:20 PM EDT
Trump claimed $8B net worth when bidding for Buffalo Bills
When Donald Trump attempted to bid for the Buffalo Bills football team in 2014, he claimed that his net worth was “in excess of eight billion dollars,” according to a document entered evidence during Michael Cohen’s testimony.
To support the bid, Trump’s frequent lender Deutsche Bank sent a letter to Morgan Stanley to demonstrate that Trump had the “financial wherewithal” to support his bid, according to Cohen.
The New York attorney general alleges that Trump used his inflated financial statement to convince Deutsche Bank to support Trump’s financial strength.
The line of questioning prompted strong objections from Trump lawyer Chris Kise, who argued that the bid for the Buffalo Bills is not related to any of the attorney general’s causes of action.
“I think this is arguably false, particularly the eight billion dollars … and this shows a pattern of practice of fraud,” Judge Engoron said when overruling the objection.
Oct 24, 4:03 PM EDT
Cohen testifies how Trump’s inflated statements were used
Donald Trump used his inflated financial statements to convince journalists about his net worth, to lower his insurance premiums, and even to support his bid to purchase the Buffalo Bills football team, according to Michael Cohen.
Cohen described how the Trump Organization would grant external parties only limited access to the documents themselves, often presenting them during video calls — rather than handing out the document for external parties to keep — in the process of demonstrating Trump’s net worth.
For example, Cohen described using the documents in a meeting with a journalist from real estate news site “The Real Deal” to “create the story about how much Trump was actually worth,” Cohen said.
According to Cohen, Trump Organization executives used Trump’s financial statements in meetings with insurance companies to obtain lower premiums, and Trump would occasionally attend these meetings to help move the process along.
“About three quarters of the way through the meeting, Mr. Trump would then come in, and there would be an extended conversion about his net worth, and that he was richer than the insurance companies,” Cohen testified, adding that Trump’s drop-in to the meeting was pre-planned.
Trump’s financial statement also proved vital when Trump attempted to get a line of credit for a 2014 bid to purchase the Buffalo Bills, according to Cohen.
“We can all agree that Mr. Trump never owned the Buffalo Bills,” Judge Engoron remarked.
Oct 24, 3:47 PM EDT
Trump following Cohen’s testimony closely
Sitting at the witness stand in a white dress shirt and sport coat, Cohen swapped his reading glasses on and off as he studied financial statements presented to him.
Feet away at the counsel table, Trump leaned forward to study the real-time transcript of Cohen’s testimony while actively whispering and passing notes between his lawyers Alina Habba and Chris Kise.
Often leaning to speak with his lawyers on either side of him, Trump appeared actively engaged throughout Cohen’s testimony since the mid-day break.
While Cohen testified steadily and confidently for most of his early-afternoon testimony, he at times spoke vaguely and struggled to offer specific firsthand knowledge. When asked about Trump’s adult children, Ivanka, Don Jr. and Eric, he initially described them as involved in the process of inflating specific assets before walking back his testimony.
“I did not observe them specifically engaging in conversation,” about that, Cohen acknowledged.
Oct 24, 3:19 PM EDT
Cohen details how he says he inflated Trump’s statements
According to Michael Cohen, the process of “reverse engineering” Donald Trump’s 2011 financial statement began with a phone call.
“Mr. Trump would like to see you,” Trump’s executive assistant told Cohen, according to his testimony today.
Cohen testified that he then personally met with Trump and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg to begin the process of inflating Trump’s financial statement.
“I am actually not worth 4.5 billion. I am really worth six,” Trump directed him and Weisselberg, according to Cohen.
Following that meeting, he and Weisselberg engaged in a multi-day process of marking up Trump’s financial statement with red ink to eventually increase Trump’s total net worth to Trump’s “desired number,” Cohen said.
Apart from the marked-up document, which Cohen said was scanned, he left behind no contemporaneous notes, text messages, or emails about the process.
“What is the highest price per square foot achieved in the city,” Cohen described about the process to determine comparable properties to value Trump assets. “We would use those numbers to inflate these numbers.”
Oct 24, 1:32 PM EDT
‘He is not a credible witness,’ Trump says of Cohen
Minutes after Michael Cohen alleged he was tasked with reverse engineering Trump Organization financial statements, Donald Trump continued his attacks on his former lawyer while exiting the courtroom during a break in the trial.
“His record is a horrible one. All you have to do is ask the Southern District of New York,” Trump said in reference to Cohen’s 2018 guilty plea on charges related to his role in making hush payments to two woman who claimed to have long-denied affairs with Trump.
“He is not a credible witness,” Trump said.
During Cohen’s testimony, Trump also took to social media to post flattering quotes Cohen gave to news outlets about Trump in 2011 and 2016.
“He’s more like a patriarch, a mentor. These qualities make him very endearing to me, which is why I am so fiercely loyal to him and committed to protecting him at all costs,” Cohen told the New York Times in 2016 — which was posted by Trump on Truth Social minutes after Cohen began his testimony.
The former president told reporters he wasn’t concerned about Cohen being on the stand.
“We’re not worried at all about his testimony,” Trump said.
Cohen, exiting court separately during the break, quipped that seeing Trump again after five years was a “heck of a reunion.”
Oct 24, 1:04 PM EDT
Cohen says he was tasked to ‘reverse engineer’ asset values
Michael Cohen, under questioning from state attorneys, testified it was his job to help Trump look as rich as he wanted to.
“I was tasked by Mr. Trump to increase the total assets based upon a number that he arbitrarily elected, and my responsibility — along with Allen Weisselberg — predominantly was to reverse engineer the various different asset classes, increase those assets in order to achieve the number that Mr. Trump had tasked us with,” Cohen said, referring to former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.
Cohen joined the Trump Organization in 2007 as executive vice president and special counsel to Trump, putting him “directly under Mr. Trump” in the corporate hierarchy, Cohen said.
“I reported and only handled work for Mr. Trump and so I was his special counsel. Whatever issues he had, whatever created ire for him, he would bring it to me to resolve,” Cohen said.
“So the only person who asked you to perform work was Donald J. Trump?” state attorney Colleen Faherty asked.
“Correct,” Cohen responded.
Cohen affirmed his involvement in preparing Trump’s statements of financial condition and told the judge those documents were “shared with third parties,” including insurance brokers.
Oct 24, 12:37 PM EDT
Cohen recounts his criminal history
Michael Cohen, hunched slightly on the witness stand, began his testimony by outlining the federal charges to which he pleaded guilty and served prison time — including tax evasion and lying to Congress — as Trump leaned back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest.
Once Trump’s self-described bulldog, Cohen has not shared a room with Trump in five years, he said prior to his testimony.
As he recounted his criminal history, Cohen invoked the names of Stormy Daniels and Karen MacDougal, two women who in 2016 were paid to keep quiet about long-denied affairs with Trump. Defense attorney Chris Kise moved to strike the answer but the judge overruled the objection.
Colleen Faherty, an attorney with the state attorney general’s office, asked Cohen if his crimes occurred while he was employed by Trump, to which Cohen responded “Yes” and affirmed his employer was “Donald J. Trump.”
Oct 24, 12:24 PM EDT
Michael Cohen takes the stand as Trump looks on
Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen has begun his testimony in his former boss’ civil fraud trial.
Sitting at a cramped counsel table between his lawyers, Trump is about ten feet from his former lawyer and so-called “fixer.”
The courtroom itself is at capacity, with attendance appearing to exceed the number of observers during the trial’s opening statements.
Oct 24, 12:16 PM EDT
‘There was nothing wrong with the financials,’ Trump says
When Mazars USA said that Trump’s financial statements were no longer reliable in 2022, the accounting firm did not conduct an audit or identify any “material discrepancies” in Trump’s statements, Mazars General Counsel Bill Kelly testified.
“As we have stated in the Statements of Financial Condition, Mazars performed its work in accordance with professional standards. A subsequent review of those workpapers confirms this,” Kelly wrote in a 2022 letter to the Trump Organization entered into evidence.
Both Trump and his lawyer Jesus Suarez seized on the admission from Mazars.
During cross examination, Suarez displayed multiple financial statements and repeatedly asked Kelly about the lack of discrepancies identified in the statements. Exiting court for a break, Trump also focused on that portion of the testimony.
“They found no discrepancies, there was nothing wrong with the financials,” Trump said, alleging that his former accountants were “abused” and “hurt very badly” by the New York attorney general.
Oct 24, 12:07 PM EDT
Trump lawyer presses Mazars USA counsel
Trump’s accounting firm resigned from engagements with the Trump Organization in 2021 after learning it could no longer rely on former CFO Allen Weisselberg, Mazars USA General Counsel Bill Kelly testified.
The next year, Mazars determined that Trump’s statements could no longer be relied upon following a filing related to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation of the Trump Organization.
“When the NYAG filed a paper in court, you took them at their word and never once conferred with your client?” defense attorney Jesus Suarez asked during his cross examination of Kelly, adding that Trump paid Mazars millions before their relationship ended.
“You just kicked them to the curb, right?” Suarez added, alleging that Mazars tried to “curry favor” to avoid legal problems with authorities.
“We did not kick them to the curb,” Kelly responded.
The cross examination of Kelly appeared to test the patience of Judge Engoron, who interrupted the questioning twice.
“That has been asked about five times already,” Engoron said at one point. At a later point, he added, “Asked and answered many times. Yes, they were paid.”
Oct 24, 11:20 AM EDT
Attorneys continue to spar over COVID concerns
Trump lawyer Chris Kise continued to spar with state attorney Louis Solomon during the testimony of Mazars General Counsel Bill Kelly.
After Solomon objected to a question posted in Kelly’s cross-examination, Kise interjected to call out Solomon for being hypocritical about the bounds of acceptable testimony.
“Everything in this courtroom concerns me and my client, including your health,” Kise said, referring back to his earlier concern about a courtroom COVID-19 outbreak.
“Thanks for your concern,” Solomon responded offhandedly.
Trump and his attorneys have adjusted their seating compared to past days, possibly due to health concerns, so that Trump and Kise are sitting further from the state attorneys.
Oct 24, 10:56 AM EDT
Judge rejects defense’s request for delay due to COVID
Before today’s first witness entered court, Trump attorney Chris Kise asked Judge Engoron to postpone today’s proceedings after five members of the New York attorney general’s team tested positive for COVID-19.
Describing the attorney general’s conduct as “beyond irresponsible,” Kise said that his team did not get adequate notice about the COVID exposures despite having close contact with positive individuals.
“Nothing else matters except for pursuing President Trump,” Kise said. “We have the leading candidate for president of the United States in the courtroom today.”
“The attorney general’s office knew on Wednesday and didn’t tell any of us,” defense attorney Clifford Robert said. “We are truly in an outbreak.”
Engoron declined to grant their requested delay.
In a statement, a spokesperson for New York Attorney General Letitia James said the state has complied with all CDC guidelines.
“Our office properly notified the court and defendants’ counsel, and the court decided to proceed with trial today. If there were any concerns, defendants could wear masks today or at any point, but they have opted not to,” the spokesperson said.
Oct 24, 10:44 AM EDT
‘He’s a felon,’ Trump says of Cohen
Trump called his former lawyer Michael Cohen a “proven liar” and “felon” as Trump entered the courtroom for his civil trial this morning.
“He’s a felon, served a lot of time for lying, and we’re just going to go in and see and I think you’ll see that for yourself,” Trump told reporters outside court.
Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to two separate criminal cases and eventually spent more than 13 months in prison — but said that it was Trump who caused him to “follow a path of darkness.”
-ABC News’ Ricardo Montero contributed to this report.
Oct 24, 10:06 AM EDT
Cohen says he’s ‘looking forward’ to seeing Trump
Exiting his New York City apartment this morning, Michael Cohen told reporters he was “looking forward” to seeing Trump in court.
“It’s been five years since we’ve been in the same room,” Cohen said.
Cohen preemptively defended the credibility of his testimony and reiterated that he previously perjured himself “concert with and for the benefit of Donald J. Trump.”
“My credibility should not be in question,” Cohen said.
-ABC News’ Eric Avram contributed to this report.
Oct 24, 10:00 AM EDT
Trump arrives in court
Donald Trump has arrived in court for the anticipated testimony of his former lawyer Michael Cohen.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is also attending the trial this morning.
James took her usual seat at the front of the courtroom’s gallery, directly behind her team of lawyers at the counsel table.
The courtroom itself is nearly at capacity, with attendance matching the number of observers during the trial’s opening statements.
Oct 24, 9:53 AM EDT
Cohen expected to testify after Mazars attorney
Donald Trump’s former lawyer and self-described “fixer” is scheduled as the second witness to testify today at the trial.
Bill Kelly, a lawyer at Trump’s former accounting firm, Mazars USA, is set to begin his testimony this morning.
Mazars issued Trump’s statements of financial condition before severing its business relationship with the Trump Organization last year and withdrawing the statements issued between 2011 and 2020.
“We have come to this conclusion based, in part, upon the filings made by the New York Attorney General on January 18, 2022, our own investigation, and information received from internal and external sources,” Kelly wrote in a 2022 letter to the Trump Organization.
Oct 24, 8:23 AM EDT
Trump’s lawyers appeal sanctions imposed before trial
Trump defense lawyers Chris Kise, Clifford Robert, and Michael Farina have appealed Judge Arthur Engoron’s decision to sanction and fine them for making frivolous arguments during pretrial arguments.
On the eve of trial, Engoron sanctioned the attorneys for their “continued reliance on bogus arguments,” and ordered each to pay a $7,500 fine.
“Sanctions are the only way to impress upon defendants’ attorneys the consequences of engaging in repetitive, frivolous motion practice after this Court,” Engoron wrote in his decision at the time.
In their filing, the lawyers have asked an appeals court to determine if Engoron “committed errors of law and/or fact, abused its discretion, and/or acted in excess of its jurisdiction.”
Oct 23, 8:55 AM EDT
Trial delayed until Tuesday due to COVID-19 exposures
Former President Trump’s civil fraud trial is adjourned until Tuesday due to COVID-19 exposures, the New York attorney general’s office has announced.
Officials did not say who had been exposed or when.
Trump attended the trial on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week and said on Wednesday that he could return to court for the testimony of his former attorney Michael Cohen, which could begin tomorrow.
The trial is scheduled to continue tomorrow morning with testimony from a lawyer at Trump’s former accounting firm, Mazars USA, followed by Cohen.
Week Three of the trial concluded on Friday with Judge Engoron fining Trump $5,000 for violating a gag order the judge had issued prohibiting social media posts and statements about the judge’s staff.
While Engoron found that Trump’s violation was “inadvertent,” he threatened additional fines or possibly even jail time if Trump violated the order again.
Oct 20, 3:39 PM EDT
Judge fines Trump $5,000 for violating partial gag order
Judge Engoron has fined Donald Trump $5,000 for what the judge called Trump’s “inadvertent” violation of his limited gag order that occurred when the former president’s false Truth Social post about Engoron’s clerk was not removed from Trump’s campaign website.
“Donald Trump has received ample warning from this Court as to the possible repercussions of violating the gag order,” Engoron wrote in a ruling after court had ended for the day. “He specifically acknowledged that he understood and would abide by it. Accordingly, issuing yet another warning is no longer appropriate; this Court is way beyond the ‘warning’ stage.”
The judge said he decided to impose a nominal $5,000 fine “given defendant’s position that the violation was inadvertent.”
However, the judge wrote, “Make no mistake: future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions, which may include, but are not limited to, steeper financial penalties, holding Donald Trump in contempt of court, and possibly imprisoning him pursuant to New York Judiciary Law 753.”
Oct 20, 2:02 PM EDT
Court adjourns for day without gag order ruling
The trial adjourned until Monday without Judge Engoron determining what penalty, if any, Trump will face after the judge said Trump violated his limited gag order by not removing a false Truth Social post about Engoron’s clerk from his campaign website.
Prior to adjournment, former Trump Organization vice president Raymond Flores testified about his limited role in reviewing Trump’s 2020 statement of financial condition and assessing the value of Trump’s golf courses.
Flores, who had a limited recollection of events, is expected to return to the witness stand to complete his testimony on Monday.
Oct 20, 1:49 PM EDT
Judge to hold hearing on Ivanka Trump subpoenas
Judge Engoron will hear oral arguments from the New York attorney general and Ivanka Trump’s attorney about whether Ivanka Trump will be required to testify at her father’s civil fraud trial.
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued three subpoenas to Ivanka Trump, who was no longer a part of the Trump Organization by 2016, in order to compel her testimony — but Ivanka Trump’s lawyer argues they should be quashed because the AG lacks jurisdiction.
The hearing will likely take place one morning next week, before the trial gets underway for the day, according to Engoron’s clerk.
Oct 20, 12:57 PM EDT
Thousands saw false post on Trump’s website, attorney says
According to Donald Trump’s attorney Chris Kise, 3,701 people viewed a screenshot of Trump’s false Truth Social post about Judge Engoron’s clerk that was added to Trump’s 2024 campaign website.
Engoron had requested that Kise provide specific information about the reach of Trump’s post after it was removed from Truth Social but remained on the campaign site. A screenshot of the Truth social post was available on Trump’s campaign site for more than two weeks after it was removed from the Truth Social platform, according to Engoron.
Kise said that the post was initially emailed to 25,810 people from a “press” email list. A total of 6,713 people opened the email, which directed recipients to a post on Trump’s campaign website.
Of the 114 million people who visited Trump’s campaign website between Oct. 3 and Oct. 19, a total of 3,701 users viewed the actual post, including the people directed to the post via email.
“You have to click through layers to get there,” Kise said.
Engoron has still not ruled on what punishment, if any, Trump faces for the potential violation of his gag order.
Oct 20, 10:38 AM EDT
Judge mulls holding Trump in contempt over gag order
Judge Engoron said he is considering holding former President Trump in contempt of court — and even raised the possibility of imprisonment — following what Engoron described as a “blatant violation of the gag order” imposed earlier this month during the trial.
Engoron imposed a limited gag order on Oct. 3 after Trump made a false social media post about the judge’s clerk. While Trump immediately removed the post from Truth Social, Trump’s campaign website appeared to still include the social media post until last night.
“Despite this clear order, last night I learned that the subject offending post was never removed from [the Trump’s campaign website], in fact had been on that website for the past 17 days,” Engoron said.
The judge said he was considering holding Trump in contempt of court, fining him, or “possibly imprisoning him.”
“Incendiary untruths can, and in some cases already had, lead to serious physical harm,” Engoron said.
Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise told Engoron that the website including the post was an “inadvertent” mistake and that Trump has tried to comply with the order since it was imposed.
“The Truth Social post was taken down when President Trump represented it to the court,” Kise said.
Addressing why the post remained on Trump’s campaign website, Kise blamed Trump’s “very large [campaign] operation.”
“This unfortunately is a part of the process that is built into the campaign structure,” Kise said.
Engoron, who did not immediately resolve the issue, said, “I will take this under advisement, but I want to make clear that Donald Trump is still responsible for the large machine, even if it is a large machine.”
Oct 20, 10:04 AM EDT
No evidence Trump asked ex-CFO to pump net worth, defense says
Defense lawyer Clifford Robert filed a letter late Thursday asking Judge Engoron to strike testimony from Trump Organization executive Patrick Birney about an alleged “scheme” to pump former President Trump’s net worth.
During his testimony Monday, Birney testified that former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg told him that “Mr. Trump wanted his net worth on the statement of financial condition to go up.” The New York attorney general has argued this statement supports the existence of an “illicit agreement or scheme” within the Trump Organization to inflate Trump’s net worth.
Describing the statement as “merely a recitation of what Mr. Weisselberg allegedly heard from President Trump without adoption or indorsement,” Robert argued that the statement cannot be assumed to be true based on Birney’s testimony.
“In any event, there is nothing in the record establishing President Trump actually made the statement to Mr. Weisselberg,” Robert added in a footnote to his letter.
Oct 20, 8:38 AM EDT
Ivanka Trump files motion to keep from testifying
Day 14 of the proceedings gets underway following a motion filed late Thursday by Ivanka Trump that seeks to quash three subpoenas that would compel her to testify in the trial.
Donald Trump’s eldest daughter, who was no longer a part of the Trump Organization by 2016, was dismissed from the civil suit by an appeals court in June.
But the New York attorney general still plans to call her as a witness in the state’s case. In early September, the AG sent subpoenas to three corporate entities affiliated with Ivanka Trump to force her to testify in person.
“The NYAG, which never deposed Ms. Trump, is effectively trying to force her back into this case from which she was dismissed by a unanimous decision of the Appellate Division, First Department,” Ivanka Trump’s lawyer, Bennet Moskowitz, wrote in Thursday’s filing.
Moskowitz argued that the subpoenas should be thrown out since they were not properly served and because the AG lacks jurisdiction to force Ivanka Trump, who is no longer a New York resident, to testify.
“The NYAG knows this, which is why it has subpoenaed three corporate entities as an end-run around its failure to pursue Ms. Trump’s deposition when it had the chance,” the filing said.
In a Thursday email that was entered as an exhibit to the motion, a lawyer for the attorney general’s office indicated they do not plan to request Judge Arthur Engoron hold Ivanka Trump in contempt. They instead plan to file a motion today to compel her to appear in court, according to the email.
Oct 19, 2:15 PM EDT
Eric Trump sought higher valuation of golf course, appraiser says
Eric Trump personally pushed for a higher valuation for 71 undeveloped residential units at the Trump National Golf Club in Westchester County outside New York City, a real estate executive testified.
David McArdle of the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield said he was hired to appraise the future value of the duplex units to be built along the golf course’s 18th hole fairway. McArdle said he personally worked with Trump Organization VP Eric Trump on the project in 2013.
“Eric loved this project. He thought it was very special,” McArdle said.
When McArdle eyed a value between $40-$45 million, Eric Trump pushed for a higher value, McArdle said.
In an email that was entered into evidence, McArdle wrote to a colleague regarding Eric Trump: “He continues to call me. I am uncomfortable not replying, please call him.”
McArdle testified that he wanted to be “respectful” to Eric Trump, who he hoped to work with on future projects; however, McArdle said he and Eric Trump continued to disagree about the value of the undeveloped units.
“Eric had certain ideas about value. They may have been more lofty than $45 million,” McArdle testified.
McArdle said was firm on the $45 million valuation, adding that he did not want to put “Eric in a vulnerable position” because the appraisal could be “under a lot of scrutiny by the IRS or a court.”
“We were sort of at the end, and anything beyond $45 million would have put people at risk,” he said.
Oct 19, 11:41 AM EDT
Lender says he partially relied on Trump’s financial statement
When Ladder Capital executive Jack Weisselberg worked on a $160 million loan for the Trump Organization, he partially relied on Donald Trump’s financial statements, according to his testimony this morning.
“The liquidity was really what we were paying attention to,” said Jack Weisselberg in reference to the $302 million in cash and marketable assets Trump claimed in his 2014 statement of financial condition.
Pressed on direct examination, Jack Weisselberg declined to say he fully relied on the statement, which the New York attorney general alleges was fraudulently inflated.
“The net worth was one of many statements we were looking at in the underwriting process. It was a factor,” Jack Weisselberg said.
He stepped down from the witness stand at the conclusion of questioning, though defense counsel reserved the right to call him back during their case.
Oct 19, 11:14 AM EDT
Attorneys spar in sidebar meeting
Lawyers for former President Trump and New York AG Letitia James began court with a 25-minute private sidebar discussion with Judge Arthur Engoron.
Earlier the attorney general’s office requested a forensic examination of Trump Organization data after identifying what they said were “likely omissions” of emails related to former CFO Allen Weisselberg.
“Excuse me, be more respectful,” state attorney Colleen Faherty audibly said during one point of the heated sidebar.
“No,” Trump attorney Chris Kise responded.
Oct 19, 9:40 AM EDT
AG requests forensic review of Trump Organization data
New York Attorney General Letitia James is requesting a forensic review of Trump Organization electronic data after identifying a missing set of emails between former CFO Allen Weisselberg and a real estate executive.
“The failure to produce these later emails indicates a breakdown somewhere in the process of preserving, collecting, reviewing and producing documents,” state attorney Kevin Wallace wrote in a letter to Judge Arthur Engoron.
The request follows an accusation from Forbes Magazine, reported in a story last week, that Weisselberg committed perjury on the stand, based on “old emails and notes, some of which the attorney general’s office does not possess.” Despite Weisselberg testifying that he “never focused on the apartment,” the Forbes story said that he “played a key role in trying to convince Forbes over the course of several years that it was worth more than it really was.”
The letter from the attorney general appears to focus on an email exchange related to the value of Trump’s golf courses, rather than the value of his Trump Tower penthouse at the center of the Forbes accusations.
“We would therefore propose that the Monitor undertake a forensic examination of electronic data held by the Trump Organization for the very brief period August to September of 2016 to determine if all responsive information has been produced,” Wallace wrote.
While Weisselberg’s testimony concluded last Thursday, both parties have reserved the right to call the former Trump Organization CFO back to the stand.
Oct 19, 9:05 AM EDT
Trump not expected back in court today
After attending his civil fraud trial for two days this week, former President Trump does not plan to return to court today.
“We’re having a very big professional golf tournament at Doral, so probably not,” Trump told reporters yesterday when asked about his plans to return to court.
LIV Golf is holding a team championship at Trump’s Miami, Florida, golf course this weekend, which Trump plans to attend.
He has indicated that he could return to court for the testimony of his former attorney Michael Cohen, which could happen next week.
Oct 19, 8:45 AM EDT
Jack Weisselberg set to continue testimony
Day 13 of the trial is scheduled to get underway this morning with continued testimony from Ladder Capital executive Jack Weisselberg, who took the stand yesterday afternoon.
The son of former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, who is a defendant in the case, Jack Weisselberg said yesterday that he often worked directly with his father while working on a 2015 deal to refinance the Trump Organization’s $160 million mortgage of its 40 Wall Street office building.
The younger Weisselberg also described interactions with the Trump Organization executives who worked to protect the sensitivity of Trump’s financial information.
“I think they were concerned about confidentiality and wanted to make sure it got into my hands,” said Jack Weisselberg, describing how Trump’s financial documents were sent to him via a messenger.
He also testified how, when Trump Organization executives were contemplating a 2012 loan, they appeared sensitive about making certain financial documents public — including how much fashion brand Gucci paid in rent at Trump Tower.
“He is also nervous about Gucci’s rent becoming public knowledge, as he tends to embellish from time to time,” Jack Weisselberg wrote in a 2012 email that was entered into evidence, apparently referring to Trump.
“I recall it being public was a concern,” Jack Weisselberg said when asked about the information referenced in the email.
Oct 18, 5:21 PM EDT
‘We are here to enforce the law,’ says AG
New York Attorney General Letitia James denounced Donald Trump as “performative” during brief remarks outside the courthouse after court was adjourned for the day.
“He’s called me disgraceful. He’s called me radical. He’s called me a racist, and this is only Week Three,” James said of the former president.
She added that she looks forward to seeing Trump again, likely during the testimony of his former lawyer Michael Cohen, which could happen next week. Trump earlier told reporters he likely will not attend court tomorrow.
“We are here to enforce the law, and nothing will change that,” James said.
Former President Trump did not return to the courtroom following an afternoon break, and his motorcade departed the courthouse shortly thereafter.
Trump told reporters on his way out that he plans to return to court tomorrow.
While leaving the courtroom, Trump was asked about a court employee who attempted to approach him during the trial today and was subsequently arrested.
“The attorney general should be arrested for what she’s doing,” Trump said.
Oct 18, 3:05 PM EDT
Court employee arrested for approaching Trump
A court employee is under arrest after she tried to approach former President Trump while he was seated in the courtroom.
As the trial was going on, the woman “disrupted the proceedings by standing up and walking towards the front of the courtroom and yelling out to Mr. Trump indicating she wanted to assist him,” according to a spokesperson for the New York State Unified Court System.
The woman was stopped by court officers before she got near Trump or any of the attorneys. She was escorted out of the courthouse by court officers and has been charged with disrupting a court proceeding.
No one in the courtroom was ever in any danger, the spokesperson said.
Oct 18, 2:49 PM EDT
Judge bars attorneys from holding courtroom press conferences
Before the court’s afternoon session got underway, Judge Engoron announced he was prohibiting attorneys from holding press conferences or addressing the media inside the courthouse.
The announcement came a day after Trump attorney Alina Habba held a brief press conference during yesterday’s lunch break, telling reporters, “This is a scary precedent, legally, for any business in New York.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James addressed reporters on the courthouse steps after court had ended for the day yesterday.
Engoron’s order does not appear to apply to former President Trump, who is not an attorney. The former president has been addressing the media in the hallway during breaks.
Oct 18, 2:17 PM EDT
Jack Weisselberg begins his testimony
Ladder Capital executive Jack Weisselberg, the son of ex-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, has begun his testimony.
The younger Weisselberg testified that he began his career at the investment bank UBS as an analyst, moved to the now-defunct hedge fund Dillon Read Capital Management, then returned to UBS.
“There were layoffs at UBS and across the entire industry,” Weisselberg said about his eventual exit from UBS. He testified that he began working at Ladder Capital in 2008.
The New York attorney general alleges that the Trump Organization obtained favorable loan terms with Ladder Capital based on an inflated appraisal of Trump’s 40 Wall Street property.
Oct 18, 2:08 PM EDT
‘The government just got caught in a big, fat lie,’ says Trump
Defense attorney Clifford Robert continued to hammer at real estate appraiser Doug Larson during cross-examination.
Larson — who met with attorneys from the New York attorney general’s office on Monday in advance of his testimony — was asked if he was shown either of the two emails that this morning prompted him to recall having phone calls with Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney, after testifying yesterday that he did not.
“During your prep session Monday, the attorney general didn’t show you these two documents?” Robert said while waving printed copies of the two emails in the air, to which Larson replied no.
State attorney Mark Ladov, on redirect examination, read a transcript from an interview with Larson from three years ago, in which Larson was shown the emails and offered a response that was consistent with yesterday’s testimony.
“This is beyond absurd,” Trump attorney Chris Kise said, objecting to Ladov’s approach.
Exiting the courtroom during a break, Trump seized on the Larson’s testimony to support his claims that the case should be dismissed.
“The government just got caught in a big, fat lie,” Trump said.
Oct 18, 12:15 PM EDT
Judge asks for quiet after Trump responds to testimony
Trump, who has been sitting at the counsel table with his attorneys Chris Kise and Alina Habba, had a noticeable response when real estate appraiser Doug Larson denied having conversations with Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney about the value of Trump’s 40 Wall Street property in 2013.
The former president made an inaudible comment, tapped on the table, and conferred with his lawyers.
That prompted state attorney Kevin Wallace to ask Judge Engoron to tell Trump to refrain from making comments.
“Can the defendant please stop commenting during the witness’ testimony?” Wallace said. “I believe exhortations are audible on this side of the courtroom as well.”
Engoron declined to specifically tell Trump to refrain from commenting, instead saying, “I will ask everyone to be quiet when the witness is testifying.”
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, lawyers for Trump and New York Attorney General Letitia James engaged in a heated argument about whether an expert real estate appraiser committed perjury during his testimony yesterday.
“You lied yesterday, didn’t you?” defense lawyer Lazaro Fields asked Newmark real estate executive Doug Larson — a line of questioning that prompted Larson to be excused from the courtroom while the attorneys sparred.
“This witness has rights and a lawyer in the room,” Trump lawyer Chris Kise said, while lawyers for the state shouted “absurd” and “witness intimidation” from their chairs.
The squabble centered on Larson’s testimony about whether he assisted the Trump Organization in determining capitalization rates to value their properties.
“Did you work with Mr. McConney in 2013 to determine the cap rate that he used to value his property?” state attorney Mark Ladov asked Larson yesterday, referring to Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney.
“No, I did not,” Larson testified yesterday.
Fields attempted to contradict Larson’s answer this morning by showing emails between McConney and Larson that suggested the two occasionally spoke about market conditions.
“Jeff McConney would call me, periodically, not frequently, to talk about sales and market conditions,” Larson conceded.
But Larson denied having conversations with McConney about the value of Trump’s 40 Wall Street property in 2013.
After a brief interruption, Fields presented a 2014 email where McConney asked Larson, “I hate to be a pest, but the accountants are coming in tomorrow to go over my valuations. Any chance you can answer my question below?”
Asked about that email, Larson acknowledged that McConney was using his information to support Trump Organization valuations in 2013.
It was at this point that Fields directly asked if Larson had lied yesterday, prompting the witness to be excused briefly.
“He perjured himself yesterday, in my opinion,” Kise told the court.
“This is a performance … not a legal issue,” Wallace countered.
“He was accused of perjury on the stand,” Engoron noted before bringing Larson back into the courtroom.
While Larson still denied that he “worked with” McConney on the valuations, he ultimately conceded that he knew the information he provided was used to value Trump properties at the time — seemingly contradicting his testimony yesterday.
“You knew in 2013 that Mr. McConney was using the information you sent him, mainly the capitalization rates, to value the Trump properties?” Fields said.
“I did,” Larson said.
Oct 18, 10:06 AM EDT
Trump returns for second day in a row
Former President Trump is back in court for the second day in a row.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is also attending the proceedings this morning.
Trump was met with a swarm of cameras on his way into the court, though the courtroom itself is half empty, largely filled with reporters and security officers.
Like yesterday, Trump is sitting at the counsel table between his attorneys Chris Kise and Alina Habba.
Oct 18, 8:49 AM EDT
Trump expected back in court
Former President Trump is expected to be in court today for the second day in a row.
Lawyers for Trump have also suggested the former president plans to attend court during the testimony of his former lawyer Michael Cohen when Cohen eventually takes the stand.
Cohen delayed his testimony, which was originally scheduled to begin yesterday, due to a medical issue.
“[Trump] might have significant conflicts on 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 8th” of November, Trump attorney Chris Kise told Judge Engoron regarding Trump’s schedule in relation to Cohen’s testimony.
“We are still operating on the assumption of Monday at the earliest” for Cohen to begin his testimony, Engoron said, adding that Cohen had submitted a “fairly extensive doctor’s note.”
Trump attorney Alina Habba, citing a conflict, requested Cohen’s testimony begin on Tuesday at the earliest.
State attorney Kevin Wallace said he would confer with Cohen on timing and provide a schedule update this week.
Oct 18, 8:36 AM EDT
Appraiser set to conclude testimony
Real estate executive Doug Larson, whose cross-examination began yesterday afternoon, is scheduled to complete his testimony this morning.
Larson, who testified yesterday that phone calls with him that were referenced in Trump Organization financial documents did not actually take place, faced hours of cross-examination yesterday by defense attorney Lazaro Fields.
Fields grilled Larson on discrepancies in the final drafts of appraisals — a process that Larson acknowledged was less of a “science” than an “art.”
Jack Weisselberg, an executive at the real estate investment firm Ladder Capital who is also the son of Trump Organization ex-CFO Allen Weisselberg, is scheduled to testify next about his work refinancing a loan of Trump’s 40 Wall Street property.
“I suggest we call him Jack,” said Judge Arthur Engoron, anticipating confusion regarding the actions of both Weisselbergs.
Oct 17, 5:32 PM EDT
‘Justice will be served,’ James says after court adjourns for the day
After court adjourned for the day, New York Attorney General Letitia James offered one of her firmest repudiations of the former president’s claims.
“He can call me names, he can engage in distractions, but at the end of the day … his entire empire was built on nothing but lies and on sinking sand,” James told reporters outside the lower Manhattan courthouse.
Trump has frequently targeted James in his comments during courtroom breaks, criticizing her efforts as politically motivated and pushing an unfounded theory that the case against him is part of a plot of interfere in the 2024 election.
“This is an attorney general … that went out and campaigned on ‘I will get Trump,'” Trump said before entering court this morning, repeating attacks that he’s made on social media.
James fired back that her team has repeatedly demonstrated that Trump committed fraud, both in the first two weeks of the trial, as well as in Judge Arthur Engoron’s pretrial ruling about Trump’s fraudulent financial statements.
“He will again attempt to distract each and every one of you, attempt to raise his voice and scream,” James told reporters. “But at the end of the day, justice will be served, and I’m confident that victory will be mine.”
Oct 17, 4:24 PM EDT
Trump leaves court early
Former President Trump did not return to court after the mid-afternoon break, leaving his attorneys alone at counsel table for the cross-examination of professional appraiser Doug Larson.
The former president departed from the lower Manhattan courthouse in his motorcade.
Trump is scheduled to sit for a deposition today related to a civil lawsuit brought by former FBI agent Peter Strzok and former FBI attorney Lisa Page. Strzok filed suit against the Justice Department and the FBI in 2019, claiming his First Amendment rights were violated when he was wrongfully terminated the year before over private text messages with Page that reflected anti-Trump sentiments.
Oct 17, 3:55 PM EDT
Exec’s testimony shows ‘illicit agreement or scheme,’ state argues
State attorney Eric Haren has filed a letter with the court arguing that Trump Organization executive Patrick Birney’s testimony yesterday about Trump’s net worth should be admissible.
During his testimony, Birney claimed that CFO Allen Weisselberg told him that “Mr. Trump wanted his net worth on the statement of financial condition to go up.” Trump lawyer Chris Kise immediately objected to the statement as hearsay.
Judge Engoron then asked both parties to submit two-page memos by today, regarding whether the statements from Birney are hearsay.
“Regardless of its truth, Mr. Weisselberg’s statement tends to show the existence of an illicit agreement or scheme,” Haren wrote in his letter to the judge.
Haren argued that since Weisselberg is alleged to be a co-conspirator who carried out his “illicit objectives” through Birney, the statement should be considered admissible.
Oct 17, 2:23 PM EDT
‘Cohen didn’t have the guts,’ to testify, Trump says
While exiting court for a break, former President Trump took a swipe at his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who delayed his testimony in the ongoing trial.
Cohen was scheduled to testify on Tuesday, but postponed his testimony due to a medical issue.
“Cohen didn’t have the guts,” Trump told reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom.
Trump also continued his criticism of the law used by New York Attorney General Letitia James to bring the case, which he said “doesn’t give me any rights whatsoever.”
“I’m the victim here,” Trump said.
Oct 17, 1:53 PM EDT
Trump Organization’s claims are inaccurate, appraiser says
Doug Larson’s name appears across five years of Donald Trump’s financial documents, according to records entered into evidence.
A professional appraiser with the real estate company Newmark, Larson was cited in Trump Organization documents as an expert at valuing properties like 40 Wall Street, Trump Tower, and an adjoining retail space called “Niketown.” Spreadsheets entered as evidence explicitly reference multiple phone calls with Larson between 2013 and 2017.
When asked about these phone calls in court, Larson testified that no such conversations occurred.
“Is it fair to say that Mr. Trump valued Trump Tower at $526 million in conjunction with you?” state attorney Mark Ladov asked Larson.
“No, that is incorrect,” Larson said.
“Were you aware that Mr. McConney was citing you as a valuation source in his work papers?” Ladov asked.
“No, I was not,” replied Larson, who said he did not assist Trump Organization executives in valuing Trump Tower, Niketown, or 40 Wall Street, despite Trump’s paperwork referencing him as a source.
Evidence presented by the state instead suggested that the valuations were determined using cherry-picked metrics from a generic email Larson sent clients.
“It’s a way to get your name out to clients for potential work,” Larson said about one such “email blast” that was used in a Trump Tower valuation.
Larson added that the valuations Trump Organization executives determined based on “consultation” with him used flawed methodologies, such as using capitalization rates related to office buildings to appraise the retail Niketown building.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Larson said about Niketown’s $287 million valuation.
“It’s inappropriate and inaccurate,” Larson said about the Trump Organization relying on his name to support their valuations. “I should have been told, and appraisals should have been ordered.”
Oct 17, 12:01 PM EDT
CFO wanted fees omitted from ledger, exec says
With former President Trump looking on silently from his seat at the defense table, his civil fraud trial turned to the allegedly fraudulent valuation of his 40 Wall Street property.
The Trump Organization’s assistant controller, Donna Kidder, testified that around 2012, the company’s then-chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, instructed her to omit from a financial ledger some of the fees the company charged to manage the building.
Kidder said Weisselberg described it as money that moved within the Trump Organization from “one pocket to another.”
The ledger documents, which were provided to the real estate investment firm Ladder Capital, were related to the refinancing of 40 Wall Street.
“Allen Weisselberg said that since they were affiliated entities, management fees could be omitted,” Kidder said.
Lowering expenses would make the building’s net operating income higher and, thereby, make the building more valuable, state attorneys said. The move helped the Trump Organization claim 40 Wall Street was worth $540 million when its true appraised value was $260 million, said the state.
Kidder also testified about the value of a penthouse apartment in Trump Park Avenue that was rented by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner in 2011. The attorney general’s office has alleged the apartment was reported at a value several times higher than the agreed selling price.
Kidder testified that Ivanka Trump had been given an option to buy the unit, Penthouse 28, for $8.5 million. However, on statements of financial condition, the Trump Organization valued the apartment significantly higher, at $20.8 million in 2012 and $25 million in 2013.
Oct 17, 10:15 AM EDT
‘There’s no fraud,’ Trump says before entering courtroom
Donald Trump is back at the defense counsel’s table in the courtroom, seated between his lawyers Alina Habba and Chis Kise.
Speaking to the press before entering the courtroom, Trump railed against the trial, telling reporters that his assets were undervalued, reiterating his desire for a jury trial, and criticizing New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“This is the railroading that’s all coming out of the Department of Justice,” Trump said without offering proof of the accusation.
Press photographers were briefly permitted to enter the courtroom and take photos before testimony resumed.
“They are the eyes and ears of the public, or at least the eyes in this case,” Judge Arthur Engoron remarked as the photographers left the court.
Oct 17, 9:47 AM EDT
Attorney general back in attendance
New York Attorney General Letitia James is attending the civil trial this morning.
After greeting the press in the courtroom’s gallery, James returned to same front-row seat she used earlier in the trial.
James attended the first six days of the trial but had not been in the courtroom the last week.
Oct 17, 8:16 AM EDT
Trump says he’ll return to courtroom this morning
Donald Trump plans to attend his ongoing fraud trial in downtown Manhattan this morning, the former president said in a Truth Social post this morning.
Star witness Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and self-described “fixer,” will be absent from the courtroom after a medical issue delayed his testimony.
Trump will instead hear testimony from his company’s assistant controller, Donna Kidder.
State attorneys also plan to call real estate executives who appraised Trump properties, as well as real estate executive Jack Weisselberg, the son of former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, who worked on a refinanced loan for Trump’s 40 Wall Street property.
Trump was in attendance for the first three days of the trial when it began two weeks ago.
State attorney Andrew Amer concluded his direct examination of Trump Hotels chief accounting officer Mark Hawthorn by applauding Hawthorn’s skills and experience.
Amer highlighted that Hawthorn successfully conducted cash flow analysis, understood estimated current value, and applied the generally accepted accounting principles to his work.
Asked by Amer if he was ever asked to work on Trump’s statement of financial condition — a job that was handled by other executives like CFO Allen Weisselberg and controller Jeffrey McConney, who in earlier testimony acknowledged their lack of knowledge regarding foundational accounting principles — Hawthorn replied that he was never approached about the task.
“I would be qualified to give it a try,” said Hawthorn.
Hawthorn then stepped down from the witness stand to make way for Trump Organization assistant controller Donna Kidder to begin her testimony, after which court was adjourned for the day.
Kidder’s testimony is scheduled to resume tomorrow morning, when former President Trump is expected to return to the courtroom.
Oct 16, 4:14 PM EDT
Assets on statement were apparently overstated, exec says
Trump Hotels chief accounting officer Mark Hawthorn testified that in 2018 he inadvertently overstated the value of Trump’s assets by relying on Trump’s statement of financial condition.
When an outside accounting firm requested the amount of Trump’s liquid assets, Hawthorn said he consulted the financial statement that listed “cash equivalents in excess of $290 million.”
The New York attorney general alleges that Vornado Partnerships, a separate company with whom Trump has a limited partnership interest, owned 30% of the “cash and cash equivalents” Trump claimed in his 2018 statement.
In his testimony, Hawthorn said that information was not disclosed in the statement. He also said that he only was able to view the statement briefly in a 20-minute Google Meet session.
“It appears to have been overstated,” Hawthorn said of the representation of Trump’s assets on the statement.
Oct 16, 2:57 PM EDT
Michael Cohen could testify next Monday, judge says
The earliest possible day that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen could testify is next Monday, Judge Engoron said.
Cohen, who for years was Trump’s so-called “fixer,” said an ongoing medical issue had forced him to postpone his testimony, which was originally scheduled to begin tomorrow.
Judge Engoron noted that he has not yet received Cohen’s “all-important doctor’s note,” but that he hopes to receive it sometime today.
Trump attorney Chris Kise criticized the delayed appearance of Cohen, who he described as central to the state’s case — noting that Cohen has continued to post to social media despite his medical issue.
“He does continue to be active in his pursuit of my client,” Kise said. “He does not appear to be that infirm.”
Oct 16, 10:23 AM EDT
Judge says he’ll clarify upcoming schedule
On the heels of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s decision to delay his testimony, Judge Engoron said that “the schedule for the rest of this week is somewhat up in the air.”
The judge, however, promised to offer clarity about the trial schedule later today.
Engoron also acknowledged the anticipated return on Tuesday of former President Trump to the courtroom.
When the judge, while waiting for a witness to enter, joked about arguing before an empty chair, defense attorney Chris Kise replied, “It won’t be empty tomorrow.”
Engoron responded with a smile, saying “So I hear.”
Oct 16, 8:11 AM EDT
Michael Cohen delays testimony as trial enters Week 3
The civil fraud trial of former President Trump, his adult sons, and Trump Organization executives enters its third week with a notable schedule change.
Trump’s former lawyer and so-called “fixer” Michael Cohen, who was initially scheduled to begin his testimony on Tuesday, has delayed his court appearance due to a preexisting medical condition.
“I look forward to testifying and correcting the record as to the multiple misstatements and responses by previous witnesses who stated … ‘I don’t recall.’ Unfortunately for them, I do,” Cohen told ABC News on Saturday.
Trump is expected to attend multiple days of the trial beginning on Tuesday, according to sources familiar with his plans.
In the meantime, Trump Organization executive Patrick Birney is expected to conclude his testimony this morning.
Birney is scheduled to be followed on the stand by Mark Hawthorn, the chief accounting officer at Trump Hotels.
Oct 13, 2:32 PM EDT
Ex-CFO wanted inflated value for Trump Tower, exec says
Trump Organization executive Patrick Birney was once pressured by his former CFO, Allen Weisselberg, to use an unrealistic metric to inflate the value of Trump Tower, Birney testified.
Birney testified that he consulted a generic real estate report to determine a 2.67% capitalization rate to measure the value of Trump Tower — despite an executive at real estate company Cushman and Wakefield recommending a higher rate, which would have decreased Trump Tower’s value.
When Weisselberg and Birney discussed the topic in a Trump Tower restroom, Birney said he encouraged the CFO to use a higher, more realistic capitalization rate that would be more sustainable, in order to maintain the building’s value in the future, Birney testified.
“I think he said, just use 2.67%,” Birney recalled. “I said I am fine using that capitalization rate, but I am worried that if we are only using 2.67, the building is so old, next year there might not be a cap rate as low as 2.67.”
The New York attorney general alleges that Weisselberg “systematically rejected” multiple valuations of Trump Tower in 2019 that would have lowered its value between $161 and $224 million.
Court has adjourned for the day, with Birney scheduled to continue his testimony on Monday morning.
Oct 13, 12:04 PM EDT
Firm mulled using presidential ‘premium’ to boost net worth
Trump Organization executives considered adding $144 million to Trump’s net worth based on a “premium for presidential property” in 2017, according to testimony of executive Patrick Birney.
The premium, which was applied to draft versions of Trump’s financial statements, varied between 15% and 35% for Trump’s properties, including his Mar-a-Lago Club, which was described in documents as the “presidential winter residence,” according to materials entered into evidence.
The potential adjustment followed a $200 million shortfall between Trump’s 2016 and 2017 statements, after a Forbes magazine article prompted executives to revalue the former president’s penthouse, state attorneys said.
“Who directed you?” state attorney Eric Haren asked Birney about adding the premium.
“I don’t really remember, but probably Allen Weisselberg,” Birney said.
Birney testified that the premium was eventually removed from the 2017 statement, according to a document that tracked changes made to the statement. He did not provide additional context about why the premium was removed.
Oct 13, 8:26 AM EDT
Assistant VP to continue testimony
Trump Organization assistant VP Patrick Birney will continue his testimony this morning on Day Nine of the trial.
Roughly 40 years younger than ex-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg — his former boss and the previous witness in the trial — Birney testified yesterday that he largely relied on Weisselberg and controller Jeffrey McConney to put together Trump’s annual financial statements.
“I was not the final decision maker,” Birney said.
State attorney Kevin Wallace highlighted Birney’s statements during his opening statement as evidence of an alleged conspiracy within the Trump Organization to inflate Trump’s net worth.
“He likes to see it go up,” Birney said, according to Wallace.
If Birney completes his testimony today, Trump Hotels chief accounting officer Mark Hawthorn is scheduled to testify next.
Patrick Birney had been working for the Trump Organization for more than two years when a magazine article prompted him to change Trump’s financial statement, the assistant VP testified.
“There was an article written that stated that Mr. Trump’s triplex was actually 10,900 or so square feet,” Birney said, referring to a 2017 Forbes magazine article that alleged Trump had been lying about the size of his residence. (Judge Engoron decided in his partial summary judgment last month that the size was misrepresented.)
Birney testified that Trump Organization employees, including former CFO Allen Weisselberg, “verified” the size and adjusted the next year’s statement of financial condition. As a result, the penthouse was valued at $116 million in 2017 — a steep drop from the 2016 valuation of $327 million.
Birney testified that he looked up comparable properties to come up with the value of the apartment going forward.
“I Google searched recent penthouse sales in Manhattan,” Birney said, eventually landing on an web article about a penthouse purchased by billionaire Ken Griffin that set the record for most expensive home ever sold in the United States.
A price-per-square-foot for Trump’s penthouse was determined based on that record-breaking sale, Birney said.
When Birney was tasked with finding comparable properties to value Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, he similarly searched for nearby Palm Beach homes. However, Trump signed a deed in 2002 that limited Mar-a-Lago’s purpose to a social club, the New York attorney general alleges, making the price of nearby residences irrelevant.
Asked if he was ever told about the deed by anyone at the Trump Organization, Birney replied, “I don’t believe I was.” Instead, he said he first learned about it during an “interview with the attorney general’s office.”
Court then adjourned for the day, with Birney’s testimony scheduled to resume tomorrow morning.
Oct 12, 3:58 PM EDT
Trump Organization assistant VP says CFO had final say
Trump Organization assistant vice president Patrick Birney testified that CFO Allen Weisselberg and controller Jeffrey McConney had the final say on Trump’s financial documents when he worked under them.
“I was not the final decision maker,” Birney said.
Birney joined the Trump Organization in 2015, a few years after he graduated from the University of Michigan. He began helping with Trump’s statement of financial condition in 2016 and eventually took over preparing the vital financial document, though he acknowledged in court that he initially lacked some basic knowledge about accounting and finance.
Asked if he ever had valued a property using a capitalization rate, he replied, “I don’t think so.”
Birney said he would often turn to McConney if he needed specific documents, and that he reviewed drafts of the statement with Weisselberg.
“He would review drafts with me that I would provide him,” Birney said. He later added, “Allen Weisselberg had the authority to approve everything.”
Oct 12, 3:45 PM EDT
Trump Organization assistant VP takes the stand
Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg has completed his direct examination, although he might be called back to testify by either the attorney general or the defense, Judge Arthur Engoron said.
“I am lifting the prohibition on discussing the case with counsel or anyone else,” Engoron said about Weisselberg.
Trump Organization assistant vice president Patrick Birney, who took over managing Trump’s statement of financial condition after controller Jeffrey McConney, took the stand following Weisselberg.
Oct 12, 3:06 PM EDT
Ex-Trump CFO testifies about family members’ roles
Ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg, under questioning from state attorney Louis Solomon, addressed the degree to which Donald Trump’s three adult children — Don Jr., Eric, and Ivanka — were involved in the day-to-day running of the Trump Organization during the period from 2011-2022.
“They wanted to get up to speed on how the business was running,” Weisselberg said, noting that Trump’s run for president accelerated their engagement in the company.
Emails entered into evidence from around that time suggested that the three Trump children requested financial information about the company’s operations.
During one email exchange, Weisselberg directly asked Eric Trump to delay paying off a loan related to Trump’s Seven Springs estate so it wouldn’t affect the former president’s cash balance.
“If we have to pay off the loan I would like to do it post June 30th as that is the date of your dad’s annual financial statement … to keep his cash balance as high as possible,” the April 2015 email said.
Oct 12, 2:38 PM EDT
Ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg returns to the stand
Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg has returned to the stand, nine months after he was sentenced to five months in prison for evading more than $1.7 million in taxes on unreported income in the form of company-provided perks.
One day before his sentencing in January, Weisselberg signed a severance agreement with his former employer saying that if he complied with all the conditions of the agreement, he would receive $2 million spread out over two years, according to court records.
One of those conditions, state attorney Louis Solomon highlighted in court, prevented Weisselberg from voluntarily cooperating with an investigation of his former company or boss.
“I didn’t give it a lot of thought, to be honest,” Weisselberg said when asked about the section of the agreement preventing him from cooperating with investigators.
“Is it just a coincidence that under this severance agreement, you are being paid $2 million, which is coincidentally the exact amount you were ordered to pay under your guilty plea?” Solomon asked.
“Coincidence,” Weisselberg replied.
Oct 12, 1:38 PM EDT
Bank’s loans to Trump were ‘good credit decision,’ says exec
Deutsche Bank’s $378 million in loans to the Trump Organization was a “good credit decision,” the bank’s former risk management executive told the court at the end of more than a day of testimony.
“I think we did a reasonably thorough analysis of the information,” former Deutsche Bank executive Nicholas Haigh testified under cross-examination by the defense.
An internal Deutsche Bank group evaluated Trump’s financial information, personally visited Trump Organization offices to review bank and brokerage records, and conducted some appraisals of property explicitly used as collateral, according to Haigh.
Though the value that Deutsche Bank determined for the properties often differed by hundreds of millions of dollars compared to the Trump-provided value, the entities continued to have what internal bank documents described as a “long and satisfactory relationship.”
“Using a Deutsche Bank-adjusted value for the assets, the net worth still exceeded $2.5 billion,” Haigh said, referring to Trump’s net worth as it related to a loan covenant.
When Trump decided to run for president and won the election, Deutsche Bank was supportive of the business relationship, though management was careful to monitor their particularly high-profile client, according to internal bank documents presented at trial.
“Note that the relationship continues to be monitored at the highest levels of senior management within the firm and any issues arising from the Guarantor’s status as President of the United States are immediately addressed, taken to the appropriate Reputation Risk committee, and discussed with appropriate legal counsel,” a credit report said.
When asked directly if the decision to work with Trump was a “good credit decision” by defense attorney Clifford Robert, Haigh responded, “I generally agree with that.”
During redirect questioning, state attorney Kevin Wallace stopped short of directly asking Haigh if he would have still done business with Trump had he known about the inflated value of Trump’s assets. But he asked Haigh whether Trump’s financial information could have been incomplete.
“You have no way of knowing if there was information that wasn’t provided to you?” Wallace asked.
“That is correct,” Haigh said, marking the end of his questioning.
Oct 12, 10:19 AM EDT
New York AG not in attendance for 2nd day
As the trial’s eighth eighth day gets underway, New York Attorney General Letitia James is absent from court for a second day.
While James attended the first six days of the trial, she did not appear at the proceedings yesterday.
Roughly a dozen lawyers and staff from the New York attorney general’s office have been attending the trial each day.
Oct 12, 8:44 AM EDT
Defense to scrutinize Deutsche Bank’s due diligence
Trump attorney Jesus Suarez will continue his cross examination of former Deutsche Bank risk management executive Nicholas Haigh when Trump’s civil trial resumes this morning.
Deutsche Bank was the Trump Organization’s largest single lender between 2011 and 2022, loaning the former president upwards of $300 million through the bank’s private wealth management division.
Describing himself as an “ultimate decider” of the loans’ riskiness, Haigh testified Wednesday that his decision-making process relied on Trump’s financial statements — documents that the New York attorney general alleges were fraudulent.
“I assumed that the representations of the assets and liabilities were broadly accurate,” Haigh said yesterday.
Earlier witnesses have testified about how Trump’s financial documents were drafted, finalized, and sent to banks — but Haigh is the first witness to testify from the perspective of the banks, which the attorney general says were allegedly deceived by Trump’s inflated financial statements.
Suarez, during his first hour cross examining Haigh on Wednesday, said Deutsche Bank was a sophisticated company that profited from the loans.
Haigh also acknowledged that the bank failed to conduct its own independent appraisals of Trump’s top properties, and did not rigorously examine his financial information.
Oct 11, 5:54 PM EDT
Trump’s business drew little scrutiny from bank, defense says
Deutsche Bank was a serious company in business with Donald Trump to make money, defense attorney Jesus Suarez said during his cross examination of former Deutsche Bank executive Nicholas Haigh.
At the height of its relationship with the Trump Organization, the company loaned Trump over $378 million and failed to commission independent appraisals of Trump’s properties, Haigh acknowledged. While the bank listed lower estimates for the value of Trump’s assets year after year, it continued to do business with Trump and his company.
“We … the bank hadn’t done all the due diligence one would do in the sense of the opinion of value you see in an appraisal,” Haigh said, at one point agreeing with the defense’s characterization that the bank’s internal value services group conducted “sanity checks” on the numbers.
The direct examination of Haigh by state attorney Kevin Wallace also left a central question about Deutsche Bank’s activity unanswered.
In a letter to the court and in previous arguments, lawyers for the attorney general suggested that Haigh might have turned away Trump’s business if he had known that Trump’s assets were inflated in value.
“As this Court noted during summary judgment arguments, Mr. Haigh testified during OAG’s investigation that he may not have authorized lending to the borrower if he had at that time been aware of the inflated asset values contained in Mr. Trump’s SFCs [statements of financial condition],” a lawyer for the attorney general wrote to the court in a letter last week.
Wallace never directly posed the hypothetical to Haigh during his direct examination, leaving the question unresolved.
Court subsequently adjourned for the day, with Suarez telling the court he plans to continue his cross examination of Haigh through Thursday afternoon.
Oct 11, 4:06 PM EDT
Bank wouldn’t extend Trump credit to buy Buffalo Bills, exec says
Former president Donald Trump and his company bid $1 billion in 2014 in an attempt to purchase the Buffalo Bills football team.
The only problem was that Trump needed a bank to help finance his bid.
Former Deutsche Bank executive Nicholas Haigh testified that when Trump turned to his bank for help, bank executives declined, fearing it would increase their financial exposure to Trump.
“Deutsche Bank was not willing to increase its credit exposure to Donald Trump at that time,” Haigh said.
But the bank was still willing to help Trump by sending a letter to support his bid, according to Haigh — on the condition that Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney certify that the company was still in compliance with the covenants of the three outstanding loans the bank had given Trump.
McConney verified that Trump had over $300 million in liquid assets in 2014, and that it suffered no material decrease in the value of his illiquid assets, according to a document entered into evidence today.
With that verification, Deutsche Bank issued a letter that Trump had the “financial wherewithal” to fund his bid.
Trump’s effort to purchase the Bills was ultimately unsuccessful.
Following this line of questioning, state attorney Kevin Wallace concluded his direct examination of Haigh. But he never asked Haigh if he would have approved Trump’s loans had he known about the inflated assets alleged by the attorney general.
In a letter to the court and in previous arguments, lawyers for the attorney general had suggested that the hypothetical question would be a central element of Haigh’s testimony.
Oct 11, 1:58 PM EDT
Trump had to maintain $2.5B net worth for loan, banker says
When Donald Trump negotiated a $125 million loan from Deutsche Bank related to his Trump National Doral golf club, the former president agreed to maintain a minimum net worth of $2.5 billion as a condition of the loan, former bank executive Nicholas Haigh testified.
The loan memorandum prepared by Deutsche Bank included a covenant that the “Guarantor shall maintain a minimum net worth of $2.5 billion excluding any value related to the Guarantor’s brand value,” according to a document marked as evidence today.
The New York attorney general alleges that Trump’s actual net worth at the time of the loan agreement was only $1.5 billion, an amount that would have triggered a default.
Retired Deutsche Bank executive Nicholas Haigh testified that he was involved in the decision to set the $2.5 billion figure, which he believed would protect the bank from exposure if the property failed or the broader market declined.
“It was set in order to make sure the bank was fully protected under adverse market conditions,” Haigh testified.
To calculate Trump’s net worth, Deutsche Bank looked at what Haigh described as Trump’s four “trophy properties,” all in Manhattan: Trump Tower, 40 Wall Street, Trump Park Avenue, and Niketown — a ground lease for a property adjoining Trump Tower.
Since the properties themselves were not provided as collateral for the loan, Deutsche Bank did not commission independent appraisals for the properties, and instead used a modified version of Trump’s own numbers.
“The bank normally only commissions appraisals on assets taken as collateral,” Haigh said.
Deutsche Bank adjusted their assessment in 2012, when they learned of a separate appraisal of Trump Tower that offered a lower value of the property than what Trump had provided.
“The bank felt that it had an independent view on the value of the asset,” Haigh said of the appraisal that prompted his bank to lower their value for Trump Tower from $1.2 billion to $992 million.
Oct 11, 11:59 AM EDT
Bank relied on Trump’s financial statement to secure loan
Deutsche Bank relied on the strength of Donald Trump’s “financial profile” when deciding to loan the former president roughly $125 million related to the purchase of the Trump National Doral golf club in 2011, according to retired Deutsche Bank executive Nicholas Haigh.
Haigh testified that because Trump used the golf course and spa as collateral — relatively “unusual” assets that Deutsche Bank would struggle to sell in the event of a foreclosure — the bank leaned on the strength of Trump’s larger portfolio.
“[Trump] is guaranteeing he will repay our loan — all the money due on the loan,” Haigh said about the terms of the loan. “He is also guaranteeing if the result is losing money, he will pay the cost of that shortfall.”
Haigh said that he personally reviewed Trump’s statement of financial condition when determining whether to sign off on the loan.
“My conclusion was the client owned a lot of real estate, which was not surprising,” Haigh said about his findings after reading Trump’s financial statement.
Previous witnesses in the trial have offered insights into how Trump’s annual financial statement was drafted, finalized, and provided to banks to fulfill loan obligations. Haigh is the first witness to testify from the perspective of the banks, which considered the statements when deciding whether to do business with Trump.
Oct 11, 10:56 AM EDT
‘Nobody forgot to check off a box,’ judge says about lack of jury
Responding to lingering questions about the lack of a jury at the ongoing civil trial, Judge Engoron stated on the record that Trump would not have been entitled to a jury trial.
“We are having a non-jury trial because we are hearing a non-jury case,” Engoron said, dispelling claims that the trial lacks a jury because Trump’s lawyers simply forgot to check off a box or file a motion.
“It would have not helped to make a motion. Nobody forgot to check off a box,” Engoron said.
During her opening statement, Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba said the former president would have preferred a jury trial, and Trump himself has made multiple posts on his Truth Social platform about the alleged injustice stemming from the lack of a jury.
“The AG checked off non-jury, and there was no motion for a jury,” Engoron said about the process in Trump’s case — but he added that if a motion for a jury trial had been filed, he would have rejected it because the attorney general asked for “equitable” relief, which does not entitle participants to a jury trial.
“I would like to say thank you, your honor,” Habba said about the clarification.
Oct 11, 10:36 AM EDT
New York AG not attending trial today
New York Attorney General Letitia James is absent from the courtroom this morning.
James attended the first six days of the trial, which started last Monday.
Former President Trump and Trump Organization VP Eric Trump both attended the first three days of the trial.
Oct 11, 9:39 AM EDT
Bank exec told AG he was unaware of inflated valuations
While the Trump Organization’s relationship with Deutsche Bank goes back 30 years, the attorney general alleges in her complaint that in 2011, Trump began doing business with the private wealth managers at the bank, rather than bankers who specialized in commercial real estate.
“In essence, rather than obtain credit facilities through the wing of Deutsche Bank with an expertise in commercial real estate, Mr. Trump began to seek funds from a wing of Deutsche Bank focused on servicing ultrawealthy clients,” the attorney general’s complaint said. “Hence, Mr. Trump’s personal guaranty, and his representations regarding his finances that backed up that guaranty, featured prominently in Mr. Trump’s loan transactions through the [private wealth management] wing of Deutsche Bank.”
During the attorney general’s investigation, Deutsche Bank credit risk executive Nicholas Haigh told investigators that he “may not have authorized” Trump’s loans if he was aware of the inflated values in Trump’s financial statements, according to a letter the state submitted to the court.
Oct 11, 9:04 AM EDT
Deutsche Bank executive set to take stand
Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial is set to resume this morning with the testimony of Nicholas Haigh, a credit risk executive who worked at Deutsche Bank when it issued loans to the former president.
Deutsche Bank was the largest single lender to the Trump Organization between 2011 and 2022, according to the New York attorney general.
Owing approximately $340 million to the bank at one point, the Trump Organization used Deutsche Bank to secure favorable loans related to its purchase of the Old Post Office Hotel in Washington, D.C., the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, Illinois, and Trump National Doral golf club in Florida, according to the AG’s complaint.
Oct 10, 5:23 PM EDT
Ex-CFO can’t say who OK’d statements after Trump became president
Ex-CFO Allen Weisselberg, who testified earlier Tuesday that Trump approved his financial statements before they were finalized during the years between 2011 and 2016, was unable to recall who approved financial statements after Trump was elected president in 2016.
While he recalled discussing some elements of the statements with Trump Organization VP Eric Trump, he declined to say that either Eric or VP Don Jr. had final say regarding the statements.
Court then adjourned for the day.
Court is set to resume Wednesday morning with the testimony of Deutsche Bank risk manager Nicholas Haigh, who is testifying early due to a scheduling conflict.
Weisselberg is scheduled to return to the witness stand later Wednesday.
Oct 10, 4:40 PM EDT
Ex-CFO OK’d financial documents used to prevent loan default
Ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg testified that he certified that Trump’s financial statements were “true, correct and complete” so the documents could be provided to lenders to prevent a breach of contract resulting in a loan default.
“Please see the attached report required per our loan documents, for the above referenced loan,” a Trump Organization employee would write to lenders like Wells Fargo, according to examples entered into evidence.
The employee would include a certification, signed by Weisselberg, attesting to the accuracy of Trump’s financial documents.
“Did you understand that if you failed to provide this, the Trump organization would be in breach of its obligations under the loan agreement?” state attorney Louis Solomon asked Weisselberg for each email.
“Yes,” Weisselberg replied.
Oct 10, 3:37 PM EDT
Weisselberg says Trump signed off on financial statements
Donald Trump would approve his financial statements before they were finalized between 2011 and 2016, ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg testified.
Weisselberg said that Trump often had feedback about the notes sections of the statements, which contained more detailed descriptions of Trump’s properties.
“‘Don’t use the word beautiful. Use the word magnificent,'” Weisselberg offered as an example of the kind of feedback Trump would provide.
Earlier Tuesday, Weisselberg testified that he did not meet with Trump or attorney Michael Cohen to review the statements. Returning to the topic after the lunch break, Weisselberg described Trump’s final review of the document as a regular occurrence before he became president.
“Did you ever send it to the Mazars [accountants] … as a final version before Mr. Trump signed off on it?” state attorney Louis Solomon asked.
“Not that I can remember, no,” Weisselberg said.
Oct 10, 2:18 PM EDT
Ex-CFO suggested 30% ‘brand premium’ for golf course valuations
Ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg explained the Trump Organization’s process for valuing its marquee properties as a complicated, months-long process during which the firm’s controller, Jeffrey McConney, would reach out to appraisers and brokers to better determine their value.
“This took months to prepare. It was not a simple task,” Weisselberg said, adding that he reviewed McConney’s final product at a “30,000-foot level.”
But Weisselberg acknowledged that he often intervened in the process to push McConney in a certain direction.
In one example, Weisselberg testified that he suggested McConney add a 30% brand premium for seven of Trump’s golf courses — adding tens of millions of dollars in value without disclosing the reasoning.
“Was the 30% premium you directed Mr. McConney to add to the fixed assets disclosed in the statement of financial condition?” Solomon asked.
“No,” Weisselberg said.
During a later portion of his direct examination, Weisselberg testified he sent Trump Organization employee Patrick Birney — who took over handling Trump’s financial statements from McConney — a newspaper clipping about a nearby Palm Beach property in order to support the valuation of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club.
“Patrick — hold for next year DJT f/s, Let’s see what it ends up selling for,” a handwritten note from Weisselberg on the clipping said.
Weisselberg acknowledged his hesitancy to use that property’s asking price to help value Mar-a-Lago.
“Anyone can ask anything for a dollar amount. Doesn’t mean it’s going to sell,” Weisselberg said.
Oct 10, 2:01 PM EDT
Ex-CFO acknowledges firm’s fundamental failures of responsibility
Ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg acknowledged under questioning that the Trump Organization failed to fulfill some of the basic promises detailed in letters between the firm and its external accountant, Mazars USA.
“Do you believe the Trump Organization fulfilled that fundamental responsibility?” state attorney Solomon asked Weisselberg regarding a 2017 letter from Mazars that outlined the Trump Organization’s responsibility to select the accounting principles used in financial statements.
“No,” Weisselberg responded.
Asked about a separate letter outlining the Trump Organization’s responsibility to comply with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, Weisselberg initially suggested that the Trump Organization fully relied on Mazars to comply with the accounting standards.
“We relied on Mazars to understand GAAP,” Weisselberg said.
“You were relying on Mazars to make a representation back to Mazars?” Solomon said, prompting Weisselberg to reverse his statement.
When questioned about the seemingly boilerplate accounting obligations to which the Trump Organization agreed, Weisselberg appeared to struggle to articulate who at the Trump Organization fulfilled the basic responsibilities as outlined.
Oct 10, 1:21 PM EDT
Weisselberg denies discussing financial statements with Trump
After initially evading the state’s question, ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg denied that he ever met with Trump to discuss his financial statements.
“Did you ever meet with Donald Trump or Michael Cohen where there was discussion of the statement of financial condition before it was finalized?” state attorney Louis Solomon asked.
Weisselberg initially responded that he did not recall such a meeting happening, before answering more definitively.
“No. I don’t believe it happened,” Weisselberg said.
Judge Engoron, appearing skeptical of the answer, asked Weisselberg to confirm.
“Could it have happened, and you just don’t remember?” Engoron asked.
“I am saying it did not happen,” Weisselberg responded.
The attorney general’s opening statement for the case included a portion of the deposition of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who claimed that Trump met with him and Weisselberg to direct them to increase his net worth, in order “to be higher on the Forbes list” of billionaires.
“Allen and I were tasked with taking the assets, increasing each of those asset classes in order to accommodate that eight-billion-dollar number [Trump requested],” Cohen said in the deposition.
Oct 10, 11:55 AM EDT
Weisselberg concedes Trump’s triplex is smaller than valuation
Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg testified that Trump’s triplex apartment in Trump Tower is 10,996 square feet — which is a third the size that Trump claimed on financial documents.
In October 1994, Trump signed a document that certified his penthouse triplex is 10,996 square feet, but his statements of financial condition for several years beginning in 2012 listed the apartment as 30,000 square feet.
An attorney with the New York attorney general’s office showed the page with Trump’s signature to Weisselberg, who appeared to struggle to explain the discrepancy.
“It was always in my mind a de minimis asset on the statement of financial condition,” Weisselberg said. “I never even thought about the apartment.”
Louis Solomon of the attorney general’s office confronted Weisselberg with emails from Forbes magazine seeking clarity about the apartment’s size, as well as a letter signed by Weisselberg certifying the 30,000 square foot figure to the Trump Organization’s then-accountant, Mazars USA.
Weisselberg offered a lengthy take on the discrepancy, prompting Judge Arthur Engoron to intercede.
“Your role is to answer the questions, not to give speeches. Please just answer the questions,” Engoron said.
“Forbes was right, the triplex was actually only 10,996, right?” Solomon asked.
“Right,” Weisselberg finally conceded.
“I’ve been through quite a bit the last two years,” Weisselberg said at one point during the morning’s questioning. The former CFO moved to Florida following three months in jail after he pleaded guilty last year to criminal fraud charges and subsequently testified against the Trump Organization.
Oct 10, 9:47 AM EDT
Weisselberg to be questioned about valuations
Ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg is expected to face questions this morning about his work valuing properties like Trump’s triplex apartment in Trump Tower and Trump’s 40 Wall Street building, as well as the Trump Organization’s efforts to secure loans from banks and Weisselberg’s direct conversations with the former president.
Weisselberg is the second named defendant to testify in the ongoing civil trial.
Trump Organization controller and co-defendant Jeffrey McConney, who concluded his testimony on Friday, was deemed a hostile witness by Judge Arthur Engoron, giving the state more latitude in their questions.
Oct 10, 9:08 AM EDT
Ex-CFO Weisselberg last year pled guilty to tax fraud
Ex-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg’s expected testimony this morning comes six months after he was released from New York City’s Rikers Island jail complex after pleading guilty last year to 15 felony charges related to a long-running scheme to avoid $1.7 million in taxes while working for the Trump Organization.
As a condition of his plea deal, Weisselberg testified last year in the Manhattan district attorney’s criminal trial of the Trump Organization itself.
“Are you embarrassed about what you did?” Trump Organization attorney Alan Futerfas asked Weisselberg during the criminal trial last November.
“More than you can imagine,” replied Weisselberg, who testified that Trump himself was unaware of his tax evasion scheme.
The Trump Organization was convicted and later paid a $1.6 million fine imposed by the judge overseeing the case.
Oct 10, 8:22 AM EDT
Ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg expected to take stand
Former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg is expected to testify when former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud resumes this morning.
A named defendant in the case alongside Trump and his adult sons, Weisselberg allegedly supervised and approved the inflated valuations in Trump’s financial statements at the center of the state’s case, according to prosecutors.
He’s also alleged to have personally met with the former president each year between 2011 and 2016 to review and get approval for the fraudulent financial statements.
“Mr. Trump made known through Mr. Weisselberg that he wanted his net worth on the Statements to increase — a desire Mr. Weisselberg and others carried out year after year in their fraudulent preparation of the Statements,” New York Attorney General Letitia James wrote in her initial complaint.
(AUSTIN, Texas) — The murder trial of Kaitlin Armstrong, a Texas woman accused of killing professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson, is set to start on Monday in a case that has seen a weekslong international manhunt and an alleged attempt to escape from custody.
Armstrong, 35, was charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Wilson, 25, who was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at a friend’s home in Austin, Texas, on the night of May 11, 2022. Police said at the time that the victim appeared to have been targeted.
Wilson was romantically linked to Armstrong’s boyfriend, a fellow professional cyclist, and was found shot hours after meeting up with him, police said. Armstrong’s 2012 Jeep Cherokee was captured on surveillance footage from a neighboring home stopping outside the residence the night of the homicide, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
Days after being questioned by police about the incident, Armstrong, a yoga instructor and realtor, fled Austin, authorities said. After a 43-day search, she was located at a hostel in Costa Rica on June 29, 2022, with an altered appearance — including dyed, shorter hair — according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Her attorneys have claimed in court filings that the affidavit submitted to obtain a warrant for her arrest was “rife with false statements, material omissions, reckless exaggerations and gross mischaracterizations made with a reckless disregard for the truth” and alleged an Austin Police detective illegally interrogated Armstrong. Defense motions to suppress evidence in the case were denied, ABC Austin affiliate KVUE reported.
Armstrong has pleaded not guilty and has been detained since her arrest on a $3.5 million bond.
Authorities allege that for the past several months, Armstrong was preparing to flee from custody — culminating in a failed attempt on Oct. 11 ahead of her trial. She faces a new felony charge — escape causing bodily injury — after the Travis County Sheriff’s Office said she briefly evaded two corrections officers while being transported to an off-site medical appointment.
Armstrong fled on foot after exiting the doctor’s office and refused to obey verbal commands to stop, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Footage of the incident appears to show Armstrong running from an officer and attempting to scale a 6-foot-tall fence.
Armstrong removed her county-issued black-and-white-striped uniform pants, freed her left hand from her restraints and managed to run approximately one mile before being captured, according to the affidavit.
An investigation found that Armstrong had been “exercising vigorously” in the last several months and that she had secured an outside medical appointment for an injury complaint with a “medical request restricting the use of leg restraints,” according to the affidavit.
She is scheduled to appear in court on the escape charge in mid-November.
(INDIANAPOLIS) — One person is dead and eight others are injured after a shooting at a large party in Indianapolis, Indiana, early Sunday morning, police said.
All nine victims are between 16-22 years old, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer Samone Burris said. The conditions of those who are injured remain unknown, according to police.
After 12 a.m., police responded to reports of a large party. At the scene, officers heard shots fired and witnessed a large crowd fleeing the area, according to Burris.
One woman, who authorities believe was an adult, was pronounced dead at the scene. Several of those who were injured were transported to local hospitals via private transportation, police said.
Several people are in police custody at this time, Burris said, adding that multiple weapons were also recovered.
Authorities are early in their investigation, and more information is expected.
(UVALDE, Texas) — The event comes more than a year after the May 2022 mass shooting that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School, with building planners finding ways to honor the victims through its schematic designs, including a tree at its center.
Uvalde was originally named after the oak trees that fill the region’s landscape. Each branch of the school’s tree will represent a victim.
The new elementary school is anticipated to open by the 2025-2026 school year, Tim Miller, executive director of the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, said in a statement.
Currently, 75% of funds needed to build the new school have been raised, yet donations are needed to reach $60 million to open the campus by the 2025 goal, according to Miller.
The new site is adjacent to another elementary school in the district, Dalton Elementary, allotting both campuses to access common spaces such as a library, gymnasium, and playground.
Security measures are a top priority to ensure Texas Education Agency standards are met, such as access control, exterior door numbering, security cameras, and visitor management, according to the foundation.
The groundbreaking ceremony was a student-led event with remarks from the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, a nonprofit working with the school district to construct the new elementary school to replace Robb Elementary and Uvalde CISD school district officials.
A name for the new school has not been announced yet.
The Uvalde school district did not immediately respond to comment about the demolition of Robb Elementary.
(TAMPA, Fla.) — A shooting that broke out early Sunday morning after “an altercation between two groups” in a Tampa neighborhood has killed two people and injured 18 others, according to police.
The shooting took place after fighting between the groups began around 3 a.m. in Ybor City, a neighborhood in east Tampa, Florida, Tampa Police Department Chief Lee Bercaw told reporters during a news conference early Sunday morning. One person died at the scene while a second victim died at a hospital as a result of sustained injuries, the chief said.
Hundreds of people were in the street amid Halloween festivities when the shots rang out, just as the bars closed and patrons began to file out, Bercaw said. Ybor City is known for its nightlife, including bars and restaurants.
Of the 18 people hospitalized, police are unsure as to how many were shot or injured in the melee as the crowd dispersed to escape the gunshots, Bercaw said.
A stampede ensued, with some people toppling over metal tables to take cover behind them, The Associated Press reported, citing video posted online.
There were at least 50 Tampa police officers deployed in the area at the time of the shooting, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, a former Tampa police chief, posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Bad decisions made in a split second and the proliferation of readily available guns are responsible for these almost daily incidents,” Castor wrote, describing the fatalities as “a senseless loss of life.”
One shooting suspect turned himself in and is currently in police custody, Bercaw said. Investigators believe there were at least two shooters.
The conditions of those injured are unknown, and the victims’ identities have not been released.
“Our thoughts are with the victims impacted by this senseless act, and our detectives are committed to holding those involved accountable,” Bercaw said.
Additional information was not immediately available.
(LEWSITON, Maine) — Nearly three months before Robert Card would tear through a bar and a bowling alley in rural Maine last week — killing 18 and injuring 13 — he tried to buy a silencer for a rifle at a local firearms store, the owner said Saturday.
“He came in and filled out the form, he checked off a box that incriminated himself saying that he was in an institution,” Rick LaChapelle, owner of Coastal Defense Firearms, said. “Our staff was fantastic, let him finish filling out the form, and said, ‘I’m sorry, Mr. Card, we cannot give you this… at this point in time, we cannot release this silencer to you because of the answers that you’ve given us.”
LaChapelle added “we did what we were supposed to do and hopefully saved a lot of lives by the proper, just following the proper procedures.”
Had Card succeeded in buying the silencer, LaChapelle, the city council president in Lewiston, Maine, said he believes the rampage might have even been more deadly because people at the two locations would not have heard the rifle fire.
“He could have spent more time in each location,” LaChapelle said, adding that he was speaking as the business owner and not in his official capacity. “And it could have been more methodical, and my heart goes out to the people, the victims. This is just absolutely horrible, horrible. I’m frustrated that, I think, some of this could have been averted.”
Shortly before 7pm Wednesday, police said Card entered the Just-In-Time bowling alley in Lewiston with an assault-style rifle and killed seven. At 7:08 pm, police said he entered Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant 4 miles away, where he killed eight. Three victims would later succumb to their injuries in the hospital.
The rampage is the worst mass shooting in America this year and is one of the deadliest ever in a nation besieged by an epidemic of gun violence. The shootings also set off a massive regionwide manhunt after Card left Lewiston and drove 10 minutes to Lisbon, where he ditched his car and disappeared. He would be found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound two days later at the Lisbon recycling plant where he used to work, police said.
LaChapelle explained that Card had purchased the silencer online and was set to pick it up at the closest dealer, Coastal Defense, one of the largest gun stores in the region, he said.
On Aug. 5, LaChapelle said Card came into the store having already filled out some of the federal paperwork required to buy guns and certain firearms accessories.
On one box of a form required to complete the transfer, which was reviewed by ABC News, Card’s answer caught the attention of the store’s staff: “have you ever been adjudicated as a mental defective or have you ever been committed to a mental institution?” Card marked with an X, indicating “yes.”
The employees had no way of knowing then, but Card, according to a police bulletin reviewed by ABC News, had been “committed to mental health facility for two weeks during summer 2023 and released” after he reported that he had been hearing voices and made threats to shoot up a National Guard base.
But with Card’s ‘X’ on the spot, LaChapelle explained, his employees told the man they could not release the silencer to him.
Card was “very cooperative,” according to LaChapelle, saying he would sort out the issue with his attorney and that he was “sure” he could “get it clarified and rectified.” The silencer was put aside. Card never returned.
LaChapelle spoke with ABC News on Saturday, repeating a story he has already communicated to investigators now trying to piece together the details of a rampage that has stunned a quiet rural section of New England.
During a briefing Saturday morning, officials again said mental health is a key focus of their investigation into the shootings, in addition to Card’s possession of firearms and whether his psychiatric history should have barred him from possessing any guns at all.
Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said investigators had not seen evidence that Card was “forcibly committed” for mental health treatment.
“If that didn’t happen, then the next check you could go into as a firearms dealer, who does all of their work, and a background check is not going to ping that this individual is prohibited,” Sauschuck said.
Known for its liberal gun laws, Maine does not regulate assault-style weapons and allows residents and non-residents alike to carry concealed firearms without a permit, with very limited exceptions. The state has what is known as a “Yellow Flag” law that allows the state to prohibit firearm possession for someone amid a mental health crisis, but only after a report to police, a police investigation, exam by a doctor and then order from a judge. Critics say the regulation is ineffective because it creates undue delays in keeping guns out of the hands of those struggling through a mental health crisis.
At Saturday’s briefing, an ATF official said that the weapons that had been recovered appeared to have been purchased legally by Card.
An ATF spokesperson declined to comment on Card’s previous attempt to purchase a silencer Saturday evening, citing the ongoing investigation.
LaChapelle said he’s “very proud of my staff, that they handled this the proper way.”
“I feel this is really a safety issue that we prevented, somebody that has mental illness from getting it,” he said. “I live in this community, I raise my family in this community. This is a community I love. I don’t want something like that to happen.”
(LEWISTON, MAINE) — At least 18 people were killed, and 13 others were injured in a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday evening, officials said.
The suspect, Robert Card, is still at large.
The shooting unfolded in two locations: a bowling alley where a children’s league was taking place and a local bar, officials said.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Oct 27, 11:30 PM EDT
Biden on Maine shootings: ‘This has been a tragic two days’
President Joe Biden issued a statement Friday night following the news that the suspect in the Maine mass shootings was found dead, saying, “This has been a tragic two days – not just for Lewiston, Maine, but for our entire country.”
“Tonight we’re grateful that Lewiston and surrounding communities are safe after spending excruciating days hiding in their homes,” Biden added.
Biden also thanked law enforcement, saying “they are the best of us,” and, again, called on congressional Republicans to pass gun safety legislation.
“The Lewiston community – and all Americans – deserve nothing less,” the president said.
Oct 27, 11:15 PM EDT
Garland says no community should ‘endure these mass shootings’
Attorney General Merrick Garland thanked law enforcement for their efforts in finding the suspect and pledged continued support for those who have been impacted by the mass shooting.
“I want to thank our state and local law enforcement partners, along with the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, and other federal agencies who have been working day and night to locate the shooter and keep the affected communities safe,” Garland said in a statement.
Garland said that the FBI would continue to provide victim support resources to those who have been devastated by the tragedy that happened in Lewiston on Wednesday.
“No community should have to endure these mass shootings which have become routine in our country,” Garland said.
Oct 27, 11:14 PM EDT
‘The threat is over’: Lewiston police chief
Lewiston Police Chief David L. St. Pierre said authorities are relieved that the manhunt for mass shooting suspect Robert Card has ended.
“Our community can now breathe a sigh of relief, as the Gov. stated, and I can’t echo that enough,” the police chief said, addressing the media at a news conference Friday night.
Despite Carr being found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, which authorities confirmed at the press event, St. Pierre said law enforcement has a lot of work ahead of them.
“Our work again is not done here. I was very elated tonight when I got the call from Commissioner Sauschuck advising me of the revelation of what took place and that Mr. Card is deceased and no longer a threat to our community or any other community,” he said. “I just don’t want to forget the families that are grieving and will continue to grieve. I don’t want to forget the law enforcement officials that have worked tirelessly throughout this whole event to come to a good conclusion.”
He added, “I’m very happy to be here, and I’m very happy to say the threat is over.”
Authorities also noted that hunting, which had been restricted in four communities where searching for the suspect had been taking place, is no longer banned for the weekend.
Officials said they will share further updates on Saturday.
Oct 27, 11:06 PM EDT
Governor confirms death of suspect Robert Card
Gov. Janet Mills officially confirmed the Maine mass shooting suspect Robert Card is dead. Authorities found his body on Friday, she said.
Oct 27, 9:14 PM EDT
Maine shooting suspect Robert Card found dead, sources say
Maine shooting suspect Robert Card has been found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.
A body has been recovered, the sources said.
The body was found at a recycling center in Lisbon where Card worked, sources said.
Oct 27, 5:38 PM EDT
Shelter-in-place order rescinded, hunting banned in 4 cities
The shelter-in-place order has been rescinded, but hunting has been banned in the cities of Lewiston, Lisbon, Bowdoin and Monmouth, officials said.
Residents are urged to remain vigilant.
Authorities said they do not know how many weapons suspect Robert Card may have.
Oct 27, 5:28 PM EDT
What we know about the victims
The names of the 18 people killed in Wednesday night’s mass shooting in Maine were released by authorities on Friday.
The victims at the bowling alley include youth bowling coach Bob Violette and his wife Lucille Violette, as well as bowling alley manager Tommy Conrad.
Aaron Young, 14, and his father William “Bill” Young, 43, were also among the victims at the bowling alley, their family said.
Victims Steven Vozzella and Bill Brackett were among those killed at Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant. They were a part of a gathering of deaf people playing cornhole.
Oct 27, 5:19 PM EDT
Slain victims range in age from 14 to 76
A 14-year-old boy and his father and a 76-year-old man and his wife were among the 18 victims killed in Wednesday’s mass shooting at a bowling alley and bar, Maine officials said.
Officials released the 18 names at a news conference on Friday before holding a moment of silence.
Four of the 18 victims were deaf, officials said.
Oct 27, 3:30 PM EDT
Lewiston residents begin emerging from shelter-in-place to grieve
Though fear is still gripping Lewiston, Maine, some residents are emerging from the shelter-in-place order to grieve and to lift up their community.
“People mourn in different ways … for me, I want to be here doing something in my community, trying to uplift everybody,” resident Alex McMahon told ABC News after he hung up a “Lewiston Strong” sign near the bowling alley.
McMahon said he knows one of the 18 people killed in Wednesday’s mass shooting.
“A lot of people knew people that were affected,” he said. “One of our regular customers was one of the men that died a hero trying to take out the gunman.”
He said he wants to help the community heal, adding, “We want to heal with unity and strength.”
Oct 27, 3:18 PM EDT
Biden briefed on manhunt
President Joe Biden was briefed Friday afternoon on the latest information surrounding the Maine mass shooting investigation and manhunt, according to the White House.
Over 200 FBI personnel are in Maine to help the victims and contribute to the search, FBI Director Christopher Wray told Biden.
Oct 27, 1:46 PM EDT
Bowling alley shooting ‘like a horror movie,’ 10-year-old says
Tammy Asselin and her 10-year-old daughter, Toni, were at the Lewiston, Maine, bowling alley when the gunfire erupted, and they got separated during the chaos.
Toni told ABC News Live the massacre was “like a horror movie.”
“I saw someone get shot and I saw, like, blood splatter everywhere, and they just fell off their chair and they weren’t moving,” Toni said. “I ran out the exit. I didn’t know where my mom was. And I ran with three other people to Subway.”
“I was trying to stay a little bit calmer,” Toni said. “But then when I realized my mom wasn’t following me, I kind of started crying.”
Tammy Asselin’s cousin, Tricia Asselin, was among the victims killed inside the bowling alley.
“She was the most fun person,” she said. “I just feel devastated for the loss of her family, and especially her son.”
Oct 27, 10:34 AM EDT
Shelter-in-place order remains in effect
As the search for Maine mass shooting suspect Robert Card intensifies, authorities said Friday that they’ve received over 530 tips and leads.
The shelter-in-place order remains in effect in the cities of Lewiston, Auburn, Bowdoin and Lisbon, and there will be an ongoing conversation each day, authorities said.
Divers will be a “major focus today,” authorities said, adding, “We have a lot of other irons in the fire.”
Lewiston, Maine, mass shooting: Here’s what we know
Meanwhile, police are continuing their work at the two mass shooting sites, the bowling alley and the bar, authorities said.
“We are going to be processing every square inch of these facilities,” authorities said.
Oct 27, 8:30 AM EDT
What we know about suspect Robert Card
The suspected gunman — identified as 40-year-old Robert Card — has been a U.S. Army reservist since December 2002, the Army said. He has no combat deployments.
Card’s sister told investigators she thought Card might have been looking for an ex-girlfriend at the shooting locations, law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation told ABC News.
The suspect appears to have “interacted with conspiratorial content” online, information provided to law enforcement shows. Topics he engaged with included but were not limited to: concerns about a financial crisis/stock market, LGBTQ+ issues, gun rights and commentary about Democratic public officials, including President Joe Biden.
Oct 27, 7:44 AM EDT
Card had affiliations at both targeted locations: Sources
A law enforcement source with direct knowledge tells ABC News that Robert Card had affiliations with the two locations he allegedly targeted.
An ex-girlfriend is connected to one of the locations. According to the source, “We don’t think this was completely random.”
The suspect also appears to have been fairly thoughtful about eluding police. He left behind a cellphone that authorities have recovered apparently suspecting it could be tracked.
Oct 27, 7:40 AM EDT
Search at home tied to suspect winds down
A large number of police vehicles that had surrounded a property tied to suspect Robert Card on Thursday have departed.
The search at this location seems to have gone quiet with most of the authorities having left the scene.
A source familiar with the search in Bowdoin tells ABC News there is no expectation the suspect will be apprehended at that location tonight.
The source said this search and the dramatic accompaniments were part of standard procedure for safely carrying out a search warrant.
Police will be doing this repeatedly as they work to retrieve evidence. They say they’re being thorough by tracking down every lead.
Information provided to law enforcement shows that Robert Card appears to have “interacted with conspiratorial content” online.
Topics he engaged with included, but were not limited to, concerns about a financial crisis/stock market, LGBTQ+ issues, gun rights and commentary about Democratic public officials, including President Joe Biden.
It remains unknown whether any of his social media usage played any role in the suspect’s decision to go on his rampage Wednesday night.
Law enforcement has not determined the motive, but they are looking into several aspects of the suspect’s life, including his writings and history of mental health problems.
Oct 26, 5:25 PM EDT
Number of casualties for hospital was a ‘challenge’ officials say
Dr. John Alexander, the chief medical officer of the Central Maine Medical Center, which admitted 14 victims from Wednesday’s mass shooting, spoke with ABC News’ Trevor Ault about the scramble his physicians made to treat the patients.
Three of the patients died and another three are in critical condition as of Thursday evening.
Alexander said although the team is trained to deal with mass casualty events, the number of casualties was a challenge for the hospital.
“It certainly is unprecedented so far as the severity of the injuries and certainly the attack on the community,” he said.
At least 30 to 40 employees who were not on shift last night were voluntarily standing by to assist fellow staffers working around the clock to care for victims, according to Alexander.
He said the hospital is providing 24-hour mental health resources for staffers in need.
-ABC News’ Briana Stewart
Oct 26, 4:19 PM EDT
Note found at suspect’s home: Sources
Investigators found a note at the home of mass shooting suspect Robert Card, law enforcement sources familiar with the case told ABC News.
The sources declined to describe the contents of the note, its length or its relevance to the investigation.
Oct 26, 4:02 PM EDT
Gun recovered from suspect’s car: Sources
Investigators recovered a gun from the abandoned car of mass shooting suspect Robert Card, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Card’s white Subaru was found Wednesday night.
Authorities are testing and tracing the gun to determine if it was involved in the shooting, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
Card may have access to other firearms. Sources said law enforcement is treating him as though he is armed and dangerous.
-ABC News’ Luke Barr
Oct 26, 3:24 PM EDT
Suspect’s sister says he may have been looking for his ex: Law enforcement officials
The family of mass shooting suspect Robert Card is cooperating with authorities, law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation told ABC News.
The family is laying out an account of a deeply troubled person, the sources said, bolstering earlier accounts of mental health treatment, voices in his head and alleged threats to shoot up a National Guard facility.
Card’s sister told investigators she thought Card might have been looking for an ex-girlfriend at the shooting locations: a bowling alley and a bar, the sources said.
Oct 26, 3:09 PM EDT
Coast Guard searching Kennebec River
The U.S. Coast Guard is searching the Kennebec River in Maine for any sign of the mass shooting suspect, Robert Card.
Card owns a boat and property in the Lewiston area, according to a source briefed on the situation.
“Currently, one response boat crew from Station Boothbay Harbor, and an Air Station Cape Cod HC-144 fixed wing aircraft are assisting with patrols,” Coast Guard spokesperson Rob Simpson said in a statement.
Oct 26, 2:55 PM EDT
Suspect was behaving erratically this summer during Army service
Maine mass shooting suspect Robert Card allegedly behaved erratically this summer while serving as an Army reservist, according to a defense official.
Card was deployed to Camp Smith Training Center in upstate New York to help support summer training for West Point cadets.
Card allegedly threatened other soldiers with violence, according to a source briefed on the situation.
“Out of concern for his safety, the unit requested that law enforcement be contacted,” the defense official said. Police took Card to Keller Army Community Hospital at the United States Military Academy for a medical evaluation, the official said.
Sometimes this spring or summer, Card bought an accessory to a firearm, according to the source briefed on the situation.
With the manhunt for Card ongoing, the source noted that Card owns a boat and property in the Lewiston area.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez and Pierre Thomas
Oct 26, 2:40 PM EDT
Exhaustive search underway for suspected gunman
A sweeping dragnet effort is underway on the ground and in the air as law enforcement partners fan out in full force in their search for the suspected Lewiston gunman, Robert Card.
More than 350 law enforcement personnel are involved in the search.
Evidence response teams are already on the ground, processing the “very extensive scenes” where the shootings took place, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen said.
In these early stages, investigators are probing potential mental health issues Card may have had, and how he was in possession of a weapon.
A motive has also not been determined.
“I think those are all valid questions and certainly questions that we are looking into now, but not questions that we can answer today,” Commissioner of Maine’s Department of Public Safety Mike Sauschuck said.
-ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik
Oct 26, 2:23 PM EDT
What we know about the victims
ABC News has confirmed the names of five of the 18 people killed in Wednesday night’s mass shooting in Maine.
Bob Violette was shot and killed at the bowling alley, which was the first location targeted in the mass shooting. Violette was a youth bowling coach.
Tricia Asselin was also killed at the bowling alley, according to her family.
Joseph Walker was the manager at Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, which was the second location targeted in the mass shooting.
Steven Vozzella was among the victims killed at the bar, his family said. He was part of a gathering of deaf people playing cornhole.
Victim Bill Bracket was also part of the gathering of deaf people playing cornhole at the bar, his family said.
Oct 26, 1:59 PM EDT
Biden to GOP: ‘Work with us’ on gun reform
President Joe Biden said in a statement Thursday, “Once again, our nation is in mourning after yet another senseless and tragic mass shooting.”
He said he’s “praying for the Americans who’ve lost their lives, for those still in critical care, and for the families, survivors, and community members enduring shock and grief.”
“Far too many Americans have now had a family member killed or injured as a result of gun violence. That is not normal, and we cannot accept it,” Biden said.
He said, while the nation has made progress on gun reform with “the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the two dozen executive actions I’ve taken, and the establishment of the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, it’s simply not enough.”
Biden said he’s urging Republicans in Congress to “work with us to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to enact universal background checks, to require safe storage of guns, and end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers.”
“This is the very least we owe every American who will now bear the scars — physical and mental — of this latest attack,” he said.
“Last night, Lewiston became yet another community torn apart by senseless gun violence,” Vice President Kamala Harris added on Thursday.
Harris, speaking at a State Department luncheon as part of the Australian prime minister’s visit to Washington, D.C., noted how Australia enacted transformative gun reform after a 1996 mass shooting, banning semi-automatic and other weapons. Gun-related deaths in Australia then dropped significantly.
“The leading cause of death of American children is gun violence,” Harris said. “Gun violence has terrorized and traumatized so many of our communities in this country. And let us be clear, it does not have to be this way, as our friends in Australia have demonstrated.”
Biden received another briefing on the shooting Thursday morning and has ordered the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff at the White House and all public buildings and grounds, according to the White House.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Oct 26, 1:12 PM EDT
Bates College on lockdown
Bates College, a liberal arts school in Lewiston, Maine, remains on lockdown with students ordered to shelter in place as the manhunt for the mass shooter intensifies.
“One college employee was present at one of the shooting locations and was injured, but is expected to make a full recovery,” college President Garry Jenkins said. “Two students were also near one of the crime scenes but were unharmed.”
“Our thoughts are with those who have close ties to those who were killed or injured,” he said. “Unfortunately, as the search for the person of interest continues, we remain in an emergency situation under shelter-in-place orders.”
Oct 26, 12:52 PM EDT
Owners of bowling alley, bar speak out
The first shots were fired at Just-In-Time Recreation, a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, formerly known as Sparetime.
“None of this seems real, but unfortunately it is,” the owners of the bowling alley said in a statement. “We are devastated for our community and our staff. We lost some amazing and wholehearted people from our bowling family and community last night. There are no words to fix this or make it better. We are praying for everyone who has been affected by this horrific tragedy. We love you all and hold you close in our hearts.”
Minutes after the massacre at the bowling alley, the mass shooting continued at the nearby Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant.
“My heart is crushed. I am at a loss for words. In a split second your world gets turn upside down for no good reason,” a statement from Schemengees said. “We [lost] great people in this community. How can we make any sense of this. Sending out prayers to everyone.”
Oct 26, 12:02 PM EDT
Suspect was behaving erratically this summer during Army service
Maine mass shooting suspect Robert Card allegedly behaved erratically this summer while serving as an Army reservist, according to a defense official.
Card was deployed to Camp Smith Training Center in upstate New York to help support summer training for West Point cadets.
“Card was behaving erratically” on July 17, and “out of concern for his safety, the unit requested that law enforcement be contacted,” the defense official said. Police took Card to Keller Army Community Hospital at the United States Military Academy for a medical evaluation, the official said.
The manhunt for Card is ongoing.
ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Oct 26, 11:58 AM EDT
Suspect was behaving erratically this summer during Army service
Maine mass shooting suspect Robert Card allegedly behaved erratically this summer while serving as an Army reservist, according to a defense official.
Card was deployed to Camp Smith Training Center in upstate New York to help support summer training for West Point cadets.
“Card was behaving erratically” on July 17, and “out of concern for his safety, the unit requested that law enforcement be contacted,” the defense official said. Police took Card to Keller Army Community Hospital at the United States Military Academy for a medical evaluation, the official said.
The manhunt for Card is ongoing.
ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Oct 26, 11:55 AM EDT
3 in critical condition
Three people are in critical condition and five others are in stable condition on Thursday morning in the wake of Wednesday night’s mass shooting, according to Dr. John Alexander, chief medical officer at Central Maine Health Care.
Two patients have been transported to other hospitals and two others have been discharged, he said.
Alexander praised the work of the hospital staffers who jumped in to help. He said about 100 off-duty team members volunteered.
ABC News’ Alex Faul
Oct 26, 11:45 AM EDT
Timeline: How the Maine mass shootings unfolded
At 6:56 p.m. Wednesday, emergency dispatchers began to receive 911 calls detailing a male shooting at Just-In-Time Recreation, a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, formerly known as Sparetime, State Police Col. William Ross told reporters during a news conference.
At 7:08 p.m., law enforcement received reports of an active shooter inside the billiards room at the Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant in Lewiston, about 4 miles south of the bowling alley, Ross said.
Oct 26, 11:41 AM EDT
FBI offering SWAT teams, ATF running down potential gun purchases
The FBI is offering SWAT teams to assist with the manhunt and is also making available behavioral scientists who can help assess how the suspect, Robert Card, might behave in the coming hours, multiple law enforcement officials told ABC News.
U.S. Marshals are also assisting in the search for card, sources said.
Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are running down potential gun purchases by the suspect, sources said.
ABC News’ Pierre Thomas
Oct 26, 11:02 AM EDT
7 killed at bowling alley, 8 at bar
Seven people were killed at the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley: one female and six males, authorities said.
Eight people were shot and killed at Schemengees Bar and Grille: seven males inside and one male outside, police said.
Three people died at the hospital, police said.
The suspect, Robert Card, remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, authorities said. A murder warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Oct 26, 10:53 AM EDT
‘One of the safest states in the nation’
“No words can truly or fully measure the grief,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said at a news conference Thursday.
“Our small state of just 1.3 million people has long been known as one of the safest states in the nation,” she said. “This attack strikes at the very heart of who we are and the values we hold dear for this precious place we call home. All Maine people are sharing in the sorrow of the families who lost loved ones last night.”
Oct 26, 10:47 AM EDT
Deadliest shooting of the year
The U.S. has had at least 565 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Mass shootings are defined as an incident in which four or more victims are shot or killed, according to the archive.
Wednesday night’s mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, which claimed at least 18 lives, is the deadliest shooting of the year and one of the deadliest in recent decades.
Oct 26, 10:41 AM EDT
WH spokesperson: Biden grieving, says more needs to be done
President Joe Biden in grieving the loss of life in Maine and is praying for the injured, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told MSNBC.
Kirby urged Congress to do more to ban semi-automatic rifles, which he called weapons of war allowed on the streets, and said that Biden’s recent legislation, the Safer Communities Act, was a start — but not enough.
The Safer Communities Act included incentives for states to pass red flag laws, closed the so-called boyfriend loophole and created an enhanced background check process for people under 21 who are looking to buy firearms from licensed dealers. Biden himself, while signing the bill, said it wasn’t everything he wanted but was a start.
Biden has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the Maine victims.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement, “I am heartbroken for those who have lost loved ones, for those who have been injured, and for the entire Lewiston community.”
“The FBI, ATF, and U.S. Marshals are on the ground to provide investigative support and victims assistance services to our law enforcement partners in Maine,” he said. “No community should have to endure the horrific mass shootings that have become routine in our country.”
Oct 26, 10:18 AM EDT
Person of interest has been Army reservist for 2 decades
The person of interest in the Maine mass shooting, Robert Card, has been an Army reservist since December 2002, the Army said.
He has no combat deployments, the Army said.
His current rank is sergeant first class. His job is listed as petroleum supply specialist.
Oct 26, 10:02 AM EDT
Lisbon police chief: No tip is too small
The police chief in Lisbon, Maine, told reporters Thursday that no tip is too small in the hunt for Robert Carr, the person of interest in the Lewiston, Maine, mass shooting.
Lisbon police chief: ‘No tip is too small’
Lisbon borders Lewiston and is where authorities are searching for the person of interest.
The white Subaru believed to be linked to the person of interest was found in Lisbon.
“If you see something in Lisbon, that is suspicious, I want you to call,” Chief Ryan McGee said.
The chief said that police had responses from agencies all across the state and their federal partners.
He said he sent every one of his available officers to the neighboring community before the situation came to Lisbon.
ABC News’ Luke Barr
Oct 26, 9:40 AM EDT
Deadliest shooting of the year
The U.S. has had at least 565 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Mass shootings are defined as an incident in which four or more victims are shot or killed, according to the archive.
Wednesday night’s mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, which claimed at least 16 lives, is the deadliest shooting of the year and one of the deadliest in recent decades.
Oct 26, 9:37 AM EDT
WH spokesperson: Biden grieving, says more needs to be done
President Joe Biden in grieving the loss of life in Maine and is praying for the injured, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told MSNBC.
Kirby urged Congress to do more to ban semi-automatic rifles, which he called weapons of war allowed on the streets, and said that Biden’s recent legislation, the Safer Communities Act, was a start — but not enough.
The Safer Communities Act included incentives for states to pass red flag laws, closed the so-called boyfriend loophole and created an enhanced background check process for people under 21 who are looking to buy firearms from licensed dealers. Biden himself, while signing the bill, said it wasn’t everything he wanted but was a start.
Oct 26, 8:07 AM EDT
Lewiston, Lisbon municipal offices closed Thursday
Municipal offices in Lewiston and Lisbon, Maine, will be closed on Thursday, officials said.
In Lewiston, where the mass shooting occurred, officials said they would also close the library and cancel all events, including early voting, at city buildings.
“Non-emergency personnel should stay at home tomorrow too,” the city said in a social media post.
The nearby town of Lisbon, where police sources said the person of interest’s Subaru had been traced, also closed municipal buildings on Thursday.
“Please prioritize safety and continue to shelter in place,” Lisbon officials said in a notice on the town website.
Oct 26, 7:10 AM EDT
Witnesses describe terrifying moments after gunman opened fire
At least 16 people are believed to be dead and dozens more have been injured after a bowling alley came under fire in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday evening — the deadliest of the year and one of the deadliest in recent decades.
Riley Dumont said she heard a loud bang after which her father, a retired cop, corralled them into a corner and put protection in front of them including “tables and a big bench that the kids were hiding behind.”
“I was laying on top of my daughter. My mother was laying on top of me,” said Riley Dumont.
“It felt like it lasted a lifetime,” she added. “I just remember people sobbing and crying.”
Another witness at the bowling alley, whose name is Brandon, but whose last name was not made available, described hearing a “loud pop.”
“Thought it was a balloon,” Brandon said. “I had my back turned to the door. As soon as I turned and saw that it was not a balloon, he was holding a weapon. I just bucked it down the lane and I slid basically into where the pins are and climbed up to the machine and was on top of the machines for about 10 minutes until the cops got there.”
Meghan Hutchinson, another shooting witness, said “We were very scared and we didn’t know, like, we didn’t know what to do, what to expect from this. You know, nothing like this has ever happened here before. We barricaded in there and another parent was in the room with me. She had a phone and she called 911.”
And Zoe Levesque was grazed by a bullet.
“I never thought I’d grow up and get a bullet in my leg,” said Levesque. “Like, why do people do this? I was more worried about, like, am I going to live and I going to make it out of here. Like, what’s going to happen? Are the cops going to come?”
Oct 26, 6:20 AM EDT
Shelter in place advisory expanded to Bowdoin
“We are expanding the shelter in place advisory and school closings to include the town of Bowdoin. Please stay inside your homes while more than 100 investigators, both local and federal work to locate Robert Card who is a person of interest in the Lewiston shootings,” Maine State Police said in a post on social media.
A news conference is scheduled at 10:30 am today at Lewiston City Hall.
Oct 26, 3:19 AM EDT
Maine State Police to give briefing Thursday morning
ABC News has learned that Maine State Police plan on briefing the media at 10:30 a.m. ET on the mass shooting in Lewiston.
Oct 26, 2:52 AM EDT
Lewiston, Lisbon municipal offices closed Thursday
Municipal offices in Lewiston and Lisbon, Maine, will be closed on Thursday, officials said.
In Lewiston, where the mass shooting occurred, officials said they would also close the library and cancel all events, including early voting, at city buildings.
“Non-emergency personnel should stay at home tomorrow too,” the city said in a social media post.
The nearby town of Lisbon, where police sources said the person of interest’s Subaru had been traced, also closed municipal buildings on Thursday.
“Please prioritize safety and continue to shelter in place,” Lisbon officials said in a notice on the town website.
Oct 26, 2:01 AM EDT
Maine shooting is ‘worst mass shooting’ of 2023, says gun violence nonprofit
According to the Gun Violence Archive, the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night is already the deadliest shooting of the year.
At least 20 people are believed to be dead from the shooting with dozens more injured.
The suspect has been on the run for hours.
This is the 565th mass shooting of 2023 and the 31st mass murder, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Oct 26, 5:50 AM EDT
Family hides at bowling alley
Riley Dumont said her 11-year-old daughter was bowling in a children’s bowling league when she heard several shots.
Dumont’s father, a retired police officer, then corralled their family into a corner.
“I was laying on top of my daughter. My mother was laying on top of me,” Dumont told ABC News.
Dumont said she saw three or four apparent victims.
Oct 25, 11:05 PM EDT
Person of interest identified
Lewiston police have identified a person of interest as Robert Card.
Oct 25, 11:45 PM EDT
Person of interest served in military, is a firearms instructor: Sources
Police in Maine have identified a person of interest in the shooting, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
The person of interest has a history of military service and is a firearms instructor, the sources said.
The sources said he also has a mental health history, including a two-week stay this summer at a mental health facility after he allegedly made threats about carrying out a shooting at a National Guard facility.
Authorities have traced his white Subaru to a location in Lisbon, Maine, sources said.
Oct 25, 10:36 PM EDT
Manhunt underway in Maine
The Lewiston Police Department has issued a shelter-in-place order for the city. Residents are urged to stay inside with their doors locked.
The FBI is sending in aviation units to help in the search for the gunman. New Hampshire police are putting up roadblocks to try to confine the gunman if he’s on the run.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in a statement, “I am aware of and have been briefed on the active shooter situation in Lewiston. I urge all people in the area to follow the direction of State and local enforcement.”
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said New Hampshire “officials have been in touch with our counterparts in Maine to offer and provide any medical and safety resources needed as they manage this horrific situation. Our hearts and prayers are with the people of Maine.”
President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Gov. Mills, Maine Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins and Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and “offered full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack,” according to the White House.
Oct 25, 10:22 PM EDT
Mayor is ‘heartbroken’
Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said in a statement, “I am heartbroken for our city and our people. Lewiston is known for our strength and grit and we will need both in the days to come.”
Lewiston is about 35 miles north of Portland, Maine.
A nurse at Maine Medical told ABC News the shooting unfolded at a bowling alley during its youth night.
“Maine Medical is on lockdown right now awaiting Lewiston patients,” the nurse said. “They just called for [emergency department] nurses and critical care nurses to come in [and] set up three stretchers to each single critical care bay. They just got their first two patients — both gunshot wounds to their thighs.”
(SPACE COAST, Fla.) — Turtles are once again proving that slow and steady wins the race.
Decades after initiating protections for the turtles that nest on Florida’s southeast coast — the densest nesting region in the world — conservationists are now witnessing the fruits of their labor as the number of turtle nests increased exponentially all over the state.
While the entire state is seeing a record number of sea turtle nests this season, the numbers have tripled since last year in Space Coast, Florida, a 72-mile span of beach on Florida’s central east coast near Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, experts told ABC News.
So far in 2023, Space Coast, has recorded a whopping 20,545 in loggerhead nests, 31,893 green sea turtle nests, 61 leatherback nests and three Kemp’s Ridley nests, with a total count of more than 52,500 nests in that area alone, according to the Space Coast Office of Tourism and the Canaveral National Seashore.
At one point over the summer, the region was seeing more than 300 nests pop up a night, Laura Henning, public information officer of the Canaveral National Seashore, told ABC News.
Green turtles have seen the largest increases out of the species that nest in Florida, Henning said.
The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge saw a 195% increase in green sea turtles, one of the most threatened species of turtles. By July 21, researchers counted 13,683 green turtle nests at the preserve, compared to 4,638 nests during the same time last year, according to the organizations.
When Henning began her career about 25 years ago, it was typical to see just 60 to 70 green turtle nests in one year, she said.
In the 1980s, those numbers were even smaller, with just five or 10 green turtle nests in one year, Cohen said.
Brevard County, where Space Coast is located, is unique because it contains 24 miles of unpopulated coast, much of it on federally protected land such as Archie Carr and Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
“There isn’t really any reason for turtles to not come here,” Henning said.
But the entire state is seeing massive increases in turtle nests, Tonya Long, assistant research scientist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, told ABC News. Widespread reports from nesting surveyors around the state are showing record-breaking years, especially for loggerheads and green turtles, Long said, describing the phenomenon as “exciting.”
There have been 212,000 sea turtle nests recorded around the state, and the nesting season is not over yet, Joel Cohen, communications director for the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, told ABC News. Last year, the state saw 151,000 turtle nests.
Conservation efforts for sea turtles began in the 1980s following the passing of the Endangered Species Act.
The success story echoes that of the bald eagle and American alligators — other species on the brink of extinction that rebounded as a result of protections from the ESA, Cohen said.
Turtles are a very slow-growing species and often do not return to nest on the beach where they were born until they are about 25 to 30 years of age, which is why the results of the conservation efforts are just now being seen, Cohen said.
Conservationists have been seeing large jumps in the number of nests for the past decade, with those numbers exploding in the past few years, Henning said.
Sea turtles tend to skip nest years, so it is abnormal for two record years to occur consecutively, Henning said.
“That trend has kind of changed for us in that we’re seeing a really high year, and just a high and a high,” she said.
However, because of the slow maturation period, turtle researchers caution against looking at a single year of nesting numbers as a determination of the health of the species.
“Obviously we like to see higher numbers, Long said. “But we have to remember that it’s really the longterm trends that matter. Just because nest numbers are good right now, it doesn’t mean we can relax or remove regulations.”
Especially as climate change continues to threaten both the turtle habitat and their ability to sustain a population in the future, Cohen said.
Not only is sea level rise destroying the beaches where turtles come to nest, the warming climate is causing a disproportionate number of females to be born, since the gender of reptiles is determined by temperature, Cohen said.
In many cases, some nests are producing 100% females, which will severely affect the species ability to sustain healthy populations in the future, he said.
“It’s scary,” Cohen said. “The results of climate change are very obvious in the sea turtle world.”
(TOLEDO, Ohio) — The disappearance of a young woman from rural Ohio in the summer of 2016 left behind chilling clues discovered in a dark cornfield and a so-called “barn of horrors” owned by a local man with a history of abduction.
Sierah Joughin, 20, was on break from the University of Toledo when she vanished while riding her bicycle home from her boyfriend’s house on the evening of July 19, 2016. Her boyfriend had followed her on his motorcycle for part of the trip. At her request, the two parted ways a short distance from her home in the town of Metamora.
“I remember exactly what I said. I kissed her, I told her I loved her and to text me when she got home,” Josh Kolasinski, Joughin’s boyfriend, told ABC News.
But Joughin never made it home, and that was the last time she was ever seen alive.
A new “20/20” airing Oct. 27 at 9 p.m. ET explores the abduction case, featuring interviews from investigators and Joughin’s loved ones.
After Joughin didn’t return home from the bike ride, her family alerted police. Later that evening, a sheriff’s deputy found her purple bicycle in a cornfield just a half mile away from the home.
Megan Roberts, a special agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, got a call around 1 a.m. in the morning asking her to assist in processing the crime scene.
Investigators combed the area and found more clues tucked into the cornfield — a screwdriver, men’s sunglasses, a sock, a set of fuse boxes, motorcycle tracks and evidence of a struggle indicated by broken cornstalks and cornstalks with streaks of blood on them.
“It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. You just had this eerie feeling that you knew that this was an abduction site,” Roberts said.
Authorities kept a tight lid on what they found and blocked the road leading to the site. Joughin’s family were left on edge and wondering what authorities had discovered.
“They said, ‘We’re not letting anybody down there,’” Joughin’s mom, Sheila Vaculik, told ABC News. “All’s they could say was that they were investigating.”
When the FBI alerted the family of the bike’s discovery the next morning, they knew something was seriously wrong. The community launched a massive search, walking through the cornfields and scanning for any signs of Joughin.
Police received a bloodstained helmet from a farmer who found it on the side of the road the night Joughin went missing. The farmer brought it to police the next day when he saw the news of Joughin’s disappearance.
Based on the evidence, investigators believed someone riding a motorcycle was involved. They say they had to look at Joughin’s boyfriend as a potential suspect, since he rode a motorcycle and was the last person to see her alive, according to retired Cleveland FBI agent Vicki Anderson-Gregg, who worked on the case.
Kolasinski cooperated with authorities. He drew a map for them of Joughin’s route showing where the couple departed and consented to searches of his residence, motorcycle and truck, according to investigators.
Joughin’s family said Kolasinski took good care of Joughin and they never had any suspicion he was involved with her disappearance.
“We weren’t able to find anything that put us in the direction that Josh had any involvement,” investigator Mark Evans said.
Having cleared her boyfriend, investigators then turned to the likelihood that a stranger may have abducted Joughin on her ride home, possibly in a crime of opportunity.
A break in the case came while investigators were knocking on nearby residents’ doors. Maj. Matt Smithmyer with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said there were several stops he wanted to make, one being the home of James Worley — a man who lived on County Road 6 — the same road that Joughin lived on. Investigators showed up on just a hunch, but to their surprise, they said Worley began acting suspiciously and even made self-incriminating statements placing himself at the scene of Joughin’s suspected abduction.
“Mr. Worley makes a statement about how he was riding his motorcycle. And his bike is having issues. It sputters out. He goes into a cornfield. And he mentions that he lost his helmet, his fuses, his screwdriver and his sunglasses,” Cleveland FBI agent Devon Lossick said.
“I kind of had to stop my jaw from falling. None of that had been released to the media yet,” Lossick said.
When police executed a search warrant on Worley’s barn, they found a crate filled with women’s lingerie and an empty, blood-stained freezer buried underground.
Three days after Joughin’s disappearance, Worley was arrested and charged with her abduction. Later that day, Joughin’s body was discovered tied up, bound and gagged in a shallow grave in another cornfield 2 miles from Worley’s home. Worley was then hit with additional charges, including aggravated murder, kidnapping and felonious assault.
Vaculik said of learning about the heart-wrenching discovery, “It was horrible. Everybody was sobbing and crying and falling to their knees. It was painful, and it just literally sucks the life right out of you.”
Based on the forensic evidence collected at the abduction site and Worley’s barn, investigators believe Worley passed by Joughin on his motorcycle, hid in a cornfield further up the road, then attacked Joughin as she rode by on her bicycle, hitting her in the head with his helmet. They believe Worley then left the scene and returned with his truck, abducted her and took her to his barn, where he kept her until she asphyxiated and then disposed of her body.
There was no evidence of sexual assault, according to investigators.
Investigators say each crime scene was linked to Worley and Joughin through DNA found on the items obtained as evidence.
But before Sierah Joughin there was Robin Gardner, a woman who was abducted by Worley under eerily similar circumstances in 1990 and lived to tell her story. She detailed her ordeal in an interview with ABC News.
Gardner testified in court at the murder trial for Worley, who had pleaded guilty to abducting Gardner and served three years in prison.
“I felt very strongly I had to be [Sierah’s] voice. I knew the fear. She wasn’t there. I had to speak for her,” Gardner told ABC News.
Worley pleaded not guilty to all charges at his murder trial. His defense argued that the lack of Worley’s DNA on some of the evidence meant there was reasonable doubt he kidnapped and murdered Sierah.
The jury found Worley guilty on all counts against him. He was sentenced to death and is on death row awaiting execution. His conviction was upheld by the Ohio Supreme Court, but Worley is now exploring a federal appeal.
In 1996, Worley was questioned by police over the disappearance of Claudia Tinsley after her mother reported she last saw her daughter leaving in Worley’s car, retired Toledo police detective Rick Molnar said.
Molnar said that Worley told police he drove around for 45 minutes before dropping her off. Worley denied playing any role in Tinsley’s disappearance, something he recently reiterated to “20/20” in a prison letter. He has never been charged with any crime related to the case.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Joughin’s aunt, Tara Ice, founded Justice for Sierah, a non-profit organization dedicated to making the community safer from repeat offenders. Their advocacy resulted in the passage of Sierah’s Law – an Ohio statute that created a searchable violent criminal database.
“It’s just amazing that [Sierah] is continuing to make changes in this world,” said Cathy Shaffer, Sierah’s grandmother.
