Don Jr. and Eric Trump, the former US president’s sons, will testify in a fraud trial that threatens the family empire.

when Donald Trump He assumed the presidency in 2017, and took over its day-to-day management Real estate empire of his eldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric.

Now, as the Trumps struggle to keep the family business intact, the brothers will testify in a New York civil fraud case that threatens the future of their Trump Organization.

Donald Trump Jr. is expected to testify on Wednesday and Eric Trump on Thursday, the beginning of a series of successes with the New York prosecutor’s impeachment trial. Letitia JamesEntering his second month.

James, a Democrat, alleges that Donald Trump, his company and top executives, including Eric and Donald Trump Jr., conspired to inflate his wealth by billions of dollars in financial statements provided to banks, insurance companies and others to guarantee loans. Make offers.

Donald Trump, former president, and family patriarch 2024 Republican nominee, will testify on Monday, followed by his eldest daughter, former Trump Organization executive and White House adviser Ivanka Trump, on November 8. The state’s attorneys will take a break after testifying, making way for the former president’s defense to call their witnesses.

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are the executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization and defendants in James’ lawsuit. Eric oversees the company’s operations, while Donald Trump Jr. co-manages the company’s real estate development. He and the company’s former CFO, Allen Weisselberg, were also trustees of the revocable trust Trump created to hold the company’s assets when he became president.

Before the trial, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump’s financial statements were fraudulent. He ordered a court-appointed receiver to take control of some of his companies, which could strip him and his family of notable assets such as Trump TowerAlthough the Court of Appeal has halted the implementation of the law for the time being.

The two brothers, like their father, denied any wrongdoing.

Eric Trump spent several days in court, often during the days his father was there. He commented sporadically, especially on social media. On October 5, he posted a video on Truth Social in which James criticized his father.

“This is the corruption that my father and our family are fighting! The system is armed, broken and disgusting!” he wrote.

Donald Trump Jr. did not appear in court, but since he began testifying on October 2, he has repeatedly denounced the case. State law does not allow a jury in this type of lawsuit, so Engoron will decide the case.

“It doesn’t matter what the rules are, it doesn’t matter what the Constitution says, it doesn’t matter what the public practices and business will be,” Donald Trump Jr. said Monday. Newsmax. “It doesn’t matter. They have a story and an end goal and will do whatever it takes to get there“.

Donald Trump blasted Engoron on Wednesday on Truth Social, calling him a “political hacker” who hates Trump and does “dirty work for the Democratic Party.”

“Leave my children alone, Engoron. You are a disgrace to the legal profession! Trump wrote in one of several posts.

Relying on the testimony of Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, state attorneys questioned other witnesses about their roles in leading the Trump Organization and their involvement, over the years, in valuing their father’s estate and preparing its financial statements. Their names also appeared in numerous emails and documents submitted as evidence.

David McArdle, an appraiser for the commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, testified that Eric Trump had significant input into the appraisal of homes planned but never built on a Trump-owned golf course in suburban New York City. McArdle said Eric Trump reached a “higher value” than him for the projectBut accepting a larger number of offspring would not be credible.

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have already been heard at trial. During opening arguments on October 2, state attorneys showed about one minute of each of the sworn statements the brothers made in the case.

In his July 2022 clip, Donald Trump Jr. testified about his poor knowledge of accounting standards known as GAAPwhich state lawyers say was sometimes used and sometimes ignored in preparing Donald Trump’s financial statements.

Trump Jr., who was never an accountant, said he did not remember ever having to use GAAP standards in his job. One state’s attorney laughed when he said he learned about it “probably in Accounting 101 at Wharton,” but didn’t remember much other than that it was “generally accepted.”

In his March 2023 deposition, Eric Trump testified: “To my knowledge, I do not believe I had any role in the statement of financial position.”. He appeared to downplay his role as a senior executive at the company, testifying that he tried to remain “secluded in things I care about and am passionate about while sharing management responsibilities with his brother.”

“I’m a construction, concrete and field operations guyEric Trump said, according to a transcript of the affidavit published in the case file.

Asked at another point about his decision-making process early in his career, Eric Trump said: “I put things down concretely. I manage real estate. I’m not focused on appraisals between a law firm and Cushman. That’s simply not what I do in my day-to-day responsibilities.”

Donald Trump attended the first three days of the trial in early October and has returned for four days in the past two weeks, but his campaign schedule indicates he is unlikely to return to see his children testify.

In previous appearances, Trump has complained to television cameras outside the courtroom, calling the case a “farce,” a “fraud” and “a continuation of the largest witch hunt ever.” He also twice incurred the wrath of a judge, racking up $15,000 in fines for violating a limited gag order with his comments about a court employee.

(With information from AP)