Former President Donald Trump may take the stand to defend himself during a trial in the civil lawsuit against his business empire slated for Oct. 2, 2023, his lawyer reportedly teased.
Trump lawyer Alina Habba dropped hints about the former president’s intentions to testify during an appearance in Manhattan’s civil courthouse on Tuesday in which the court worked through early preparations for the trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James’s sprawling $250 million lawsuit before later clarifying, “I do not know at this point,” according to Business Insider.
‘ART OF THE STEAL’: NEW YORK AG LETITIA JAMES UNVEILS FRAUD LAWSUIT AGAINST TRUMP AND CHILDREN
“They will be here,” Habba said, Business Insider reported. “All of them.”
“Donald Trump and entities would like [a] jury trial,” Habba added.
Sparks flew in the courtroom as Habba butted heads with Judge Arthur Engoron throughout the hearing, with Habba accusing him of harboring bias against the former president. Trump’s team previously sought to get another judge to oversee the case but was unsuccessful.
“It sounds like your determination is already made,” Habba said, according to Daily Beast reporter Jose Pagliery. “It seems like you are already ready to rule against us.”
“I am following the law and the facts as best as I understand them,” Engoron shot back. “You’ve already tried to kick the case away from me.”
Engoron also chided the Trump team for trying to dismiss the case, saying it was “wasting time and resources.” He has overseen years of legal wranglings between the Trump Organization and James’s office.
At one point, he held Trump in contempt of court for failing to hand over key documents. A decision has not been made on whether the case will be decided via a bench or jury trial, per Insider.
Now: @AlinaHabba enters Justice Engoron’s courtroom the morning after filing motion to dismiss @NewYorkStateAG’s $250M fraud case.
“Whatever happens here is par for the course,” she says. Seems like a throwback to past comments that the judge is biased against @realDonaldTrump. pic.twitter.com/BWxBaRAP8e
— Frank G. Runyeon (@frankrunyeon) November 22, 2022
Trump said he pleaded the Fifth Amendment during his summer deposition before James prior to her unveiling of the massive civil suit against him. She announced the lawsuit in September, seeking a minimum of $250 million against Trump, the Trump Organization, and three of his children — Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump.
She is also seeking to restrict them from conducting certain types of business in the state.
Her inquiry had been sparked by former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen’s 2019 testimony before Congress that the Trump Organization manipulated asset valuations for tax and business benefit. James claimed her long-winded investigation uncovered evidence of just that. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
“Another Witch Hunt by a racist Attorney General, Letitia James, who failed in her run for Governor, getting almost zero support from the public,” Trump wrote in a post to his Truth Social platform after she unveiled the suit.
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Trump is also facing legal scrutiny from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Fulton County inquiry, and the Justice Department, which recently appointed a special counsel to weigh criminal charges against him.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Habba for comment.
