It was learnt that the US Police responded to the threat at Judge Arthur Engoron’s home on Long Island before the trial and this did not stop the continuation of the case on Thursday.
Former United States' President, Donald Trump, was in court on Thursday to give his closing arguments for his New York civil fraud trial after it was alleged that there was a bomb threat at the home of the judge.
It was learnt that the US Police responded to the threat at Judge Arthur Engoron’s home on Long Island before the trial and this did not stop the continuation of the case on Thursday.
According to AP, the former president, in several instances tackled and berated the judge in the case, accusing him in a social media post Wednesday night of working closely with the New York attorney general “to screw me.”
“At this moment the judge is not letting me make the summation because I’ll bring up things he doesn’t want to hear,” Trump said as he walked into the courtroom, characterizing the decision as “political interference.”
“This is a case that never should have been brought,” he was quoted by APNews.
Trump said he was still hoping he would be allowed to speak, but his lawyer did not raise the issue before launching into his own closing argument.
The report about the bomb threat came after a fake emergency call reporting a shooting at the home of the judge overseeing Trump’s Capitol attack criminal case in Washington, D.C. The two incidents follow a spate of similar false reports at the homes of public officials in recent days.
Engoron arrived at the bench a few minutes late and made no mention of the incident at his house.
Engoron denied Trump's extraordinary intention to offer his own closing remarks in the courtroom, in addition to summaries from his legal team, on Wednesday, after lawyers for the former president refused to accede to the judge's insistence that he stick to "important" subjects."
That left the lawyers in a trial over charges that Trump overstated his wealth on financial documents he provided to banks, insurance companies, and others to say the final words.
“Forty-four days of trial — not one witness came into this courtroom, your honor, and said there was fraud,” Trump lawyer Christopher Kise was also quoted by APNews.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, wants the judge to impose penalties totaling $370 million. Trump maintains that he done nothing wrong, that he did not lie about his money, and that he is the victim of political persecution.
The former president had planned to make that argument personally, but the judge said no after a Trump lawyer missed a deadline for agreeing on ground rules. Among them, Engoron cautioned Trump not to use his final remarks to "deliver a campaign speech" or to impugn the judge and his staff.
“This entire case is a manufactured claim to pursue a political agenda,” Kise said in his closing argument. “It has been press releases and posturing but no evidence.”
Lawyers from James’ office will deliver their closing argument Thursday afternoon.
Trump returned to court as a spectator Thursday despite the death of his mother in-law, Amalija Knavs, and the launch of the presidential primary season Monday with the Iowa caucus.
Trump has gone to court nine times since the trial began on October 2 to observe, testify, and complain to TV cameras about the case, which he has called a "witch hunt and a disgrace."
He argued with Engoron and state attorneys for 312 hours on the witness stand in November and is still subject to a limited gag order after making a nasty and inaccurate social media post about the judge's law clerk.
Thursday's arguments are part of Trump's packed legal and political schedule.
On Tuesday, he appeared in court in Washington, D.C., to hear arguments from an appeals court over whether he is immune from prosecution on charges that he intended to destabilise the 2020 election — one of four criminal cases against him. Trump has entered a not guilty plea.
In 2022, James filed a lawsuit against Trump under a state legislation that gives the state attorney general extensive authority to investigate charges of chronic fraud in business dealings.
Before the testimony began, Engoron made some critical decisions. He determined in a pretrial finding that Trump had committed years of fraud by misrepresenting about his wealth on financial papers, such as saying his Trump Tower penthouse was nearly three times its real size.
Six unresolved claims are at the heart of the trial, including charges of conspiracy, insurance fraud, and fabricating corporate records.
Trump’s company and two of his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., are also defendants. Eric Trump was also in court for closing arguments.
Besides monetary damages, James wants Trump and his co-defendants barred from doing business in New York.
State lawyers say that by making himself seem richer, Trump qualified for better loan terms from banks, saving him at least $168 million.
Kise, praising Trump as “part of the fabric of the commercial real estate industry” for a half-century, pointed to Trump’s testimony that he intended lenders to do their own research and vetting after receiving his financial statements. The lawyer also argued, as Trump has repeatedly, that the documents understated — rather than overvalued — his wealth.
Kise, echoing Trump’s testimony, said the outside accountants that helped prepare the statements should’ve flagged any discrepancies and that the documents came with disclaimers that shield him from liability.
Engoron said he is deciding the case because neither side asked for a jury and state law doesn’t allow for juries for this type of lawsuit. He said he hopes to have a decision by the end of the month.
Last month, in a ruling denying a defense bid for an early verdict, the judge signaled he’s inclined to find Trump and his co-defendants liable on at least some claims.
“Valuations, as elucidated ad nauseum in this trial, can be based on different criteria analyzed in different ways,” Engoron wrote in the Dec. 18 ruling. “But a lie is still a lie.”
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