NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Donald Trump Jr. testified Wednesday that he never worked on his father's financial statements, the documents at the heart of the civil fraud trial that threatens former President Donald Trump鈥檚 real estate empire.
The ex-president's eldest son is an executive vice president of the family's Trump Organization and has been a trustee of a trust set set up to hold its assets when his father was in the White House. But when the son was asked whether he had ever worked on his father's 鈥渟tatement of financial condition鈥� in any year, the scion said: 鈥淣ot that I recall.鈥�
The lawsuit centers on whether the former president and his business misled banks and insurers by inflating his net worth on the financial statements. He and other defendants, including sons Donald Jr. and Eric, deny wrongdoing.
Donald Trump Jr. said he signed off on statements as a trustee, but had left the work to outside accountants and the company's then-finance chief, Allen Weisselberg.
鈥淚 had an obligation to listen to the people with intimate knowledge of those things," he said. 鈥淚f they put something forward, I wasn鈥檛 working on the document, but if they tell me that it's accurate, based on their accounting assessment of all of the materials. ... These people had an incredible intimate knowledge, and I relied on it.鈥�
The first family member to testify, Donald Trump Jr. greeted the scene with a quip. 鈥淚 should have worn makeup,鈥� he jested as news photographers took his photo.
He seemed at ease as a lawyer for New York state asked him opening questions about his education and career at the family business. He made some lighthearted asides 鈥� for instance, when asked whether he belonged to an accountants organization, he replied, 鈥淪ounds very exciting, but no.鈥�
The ex-president鈥檚 eldest son is kicking off a blockbuster stretch as in New York Attorney General Letitia James鈥� lawsuit enters its second month.
James, a Democrat, alleges that Donald Trump, his company and top executives, including sons Eric and Donald Jr., by billions of dollars on his financial statements that were given to banks, insurers and others to secure loans and make deals.
Eric Trump is expected to take the stand next. Then the former president, family patriarch and is slated for Monday. State lawyers have also expected ex-Trump Organization executive and White House adviser Ivanka Trump, as their final witness on Nov. 8. On Wednesday, her lawyer filed an appeal challenging a judge鈥檚 decision to require her testimony.
Both of the ex-president's eldest sons are executive vice presidents at the Trump Organization. Eric Trump has oversight over the company's operations, while his brother has been involved in running the company鈥檚 property development.
Before the trial, ruled that the former president's financial statements were fraudulent. He ordered that a court-appointed receiver seize control of some of his companies 鈥� potentially stripping him and his family of such marquee properties as Trump Tower 鈥� though an appeals court has halted enforcement for now.
Like their father, both brothers have denied wrongdoing.
Eric Trump has spent several days at the trial, often on the days his father has been there. He鈥檚 commented sporadically, mostly on social media. On Oct. 5, he posted a video montage to Truth Social of James criticizing his father. With it, he wrote: 鈥淭his is the corruption my father and our family is fighting! The system is weaponized, broken and disgusting!鈥�
Donald Trump Jr. hadn't been to court before Wednesday, but since testimony began Oct. 2, he鈥檚 repeatedly denounced the case and Engoron as a 鈥渒angaroo court.鈥� State law doesn鈥檛 allow for juries in this type of lawsuit, so Engoron will decide the case.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter what the rules are, it doesn鈥檛 matter what the Constitution says, it doesn鈥檛 matter what general practices and business would be,鈥� Donald Trump Jr. said Monday on Newsmax. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter. They have a narrative, they have an end goal, and they鈥檒l do whatever it takes to get there.鈥�
Donald Trump blasted Engoron Wednesday on Truth Social as a Trump-hating 鈥減olitical hack鈥� who's 鈥渄oing the dirty work for the Democrat Party.鈥�
鈥淟eave my children alone, Engoron. You are a disgrace to the legal profession!鈥� Trump wrote in one of several posts.
Building to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump鈥檚 testimony, state lawyers have asked other witnesses about their roles leading the Trump Organization and their involvement, over the years, in valuing their father鈥檚 properties and preparing his financial statements. Their names have also appeared on various emails and documents entered into evidence.
David McArdle, an appraiser at commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, testified that Eric Trump had substantial input on valuing planned-but-never-built townhomes at a Trump-owned golf course in the New York City suburbs. McArdle said Eric Trump arrived at a 鈥渕ore lofty value鈥� than he did for the project but that going with the scion鈥檚 higher number wouldn鈥檛 have been credible.
Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have already been heard from at the trial, albeit in snippets of prior testimony. During opening statements on Oct. 2, state lawyers showed about a minute each from sworn depositions the brothers gave in the case.
In his July 2022 clip, Donald Trump Jr. testified about his scant knowledge of the accounting standards known as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles 鈥� which state lawyers say were used at times and disregarded at others in preparing Donald Trump鈥檚 financial statements.
Trump Jr., who's never been an accountant, said he couldn't recall having to use the GAAP standards in his work. He got a laugh out of a state lawyer when he said he'd learned about them 鈥減robably in Accounting 101 at Wharton" but didn't remember much other than that they were 鈥済enerally accepted.鈥�
In his March 2023 deposition, Eric Trump testified, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e had any involvement in the Statement of Financial Condition, to the best of my knowledge.鈥� He appeared to minimize his role as a top company executive, testifying that he tried to remain 鈥渟iloed into the things I care and are passionate about" while sharing management responsibilities with his brother.
鈥淚鈥檓 a construction, concrete and on-the-ground operations guy,鈥� Eric Trump said, according to a deposition transcript posted on the case docket.
Questioned at another point about decision-making earlier in his career, Eric Trump said: 鈥淚 pour concrete. I operate properties. I don鈥檛 focus on appraisals between a law firm and Cushman. This is just not what I do in my day-to-day responsibilities.鈥�
Donald Trump attended the trial鈥檚 first three days in early October and showed up again for four days in the past two weeks, but his campaign schedule suggests it鈥檚 unlikely he'll return to see his sons testify.
In his past appearances, Trump groused to TV cameras outside court, calling the case a 鈥渟ham,鈥� a 鈥渟cam,鈥� and 鈥渁 continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time.鈥� He also angered the judge twice, incurring $15,000 in fines for violating a limited gag order with comments about a member of the court staff.
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Michael R. Sisak And Jennifer Peltz, The Associated Press
