Trump’s Fraud Trial Begins Before Judge Who Called Him a ’Fraudster’

Donald Trump is set to go to trial on Monday in New York’s civil lawsuit accusing him of extensive business fraud, before a judge who has already ruled that he is a “fraudster.“ The trial, which is expected to last several weeks, will focus on whether Trump and his businesses engaged in a pattern of misleading banks and insurance companies about the value of his properties in order to obtain favorable loans and coverage. Last week, New York State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, had engaged in “persistent fraud“ by inflating the value of their properties on financial statements. Engoron also ordered Trump to pay a $10,000 daily fine for failing to comply with subpoenas from New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is leading the civil fraud investigation. Trump has denied all wrongdoing and has vowed to appeal Engoron’s ruling. However, the judge’s decision is a major blow to the former pr