Trump attends his New York civil trial after being found liable for fraud

A day after announcing that he will propose removing Kevin McCarthy from his post as speaker of the House, Matt Gaetz, a leader of the far-right block of Republican insurgents in the chamber, demanded answers from the speaker but held off on formally introducing the motion.

In a speech on the House floor, Gaetz accused McCarthy of making a secret side deal on Ukraine aid with Joe Biden, the Democratic president who far-right Republicans have warned the speaker against working with.

“Mr. Speaker, just tell us … what was in the secret Ukraine side deal, what commitments were made to [resident Biden to continue the spending of [resident Biden, in exchange for doing things for president Biden,” Gaetz said. “Ot is becoming increasingly clear who the speaker of the house already works for and it’s not the Republican conference.”

While Gaetz had announced yesterday he would make a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair, he did not formally do so in his speech today, rather forecasting that he would do so in the coming days, if McCarthy did not answer his questions:

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that these questions be answered soon. Because there may be other votes coming today, or later this week, that could be implicated by the answers to these questions. Members of the Republican Party might vote differently on a motion to vacate if they heard what the speaker had to share with us about his secret side deal with Joe Biden on Ukraine. I’ll be listening. Stay tuned.

From the Guardian’s Lauren Aratani, here’s a recap of everything we know about Donald Trump’s fraud trial in New York, and the potentially sizable damages he could be forced to pay:

The future of Donald Trump’s New York real estate business will be decided in a Manhattan court case that starts on Monday.

The New York attorney general, Letitia James, is taking Trump to court after a three-year investigation found that he and others within the Trump Organization repeatedly used false or misleading financial statements to broker deals, obtain favorable loans and bolster the appearance of his net worth.

The judge presiding over the trial, the New York supreme court justice Arthur Engoron, already found Trump guilty of financial fraud in a pre-trial judgment. The trial will be dedicated to determining whether, and how much, Trump will have to pay for the verdict.

James has argued that the Trump Organization should owe at least $250m for profiting off loans that were awarded based on false and misleading financial statements. Trump’s lawyers have appealed the judgment, though it is unlikely to affect the trial’s proceedings.

Here’s what we know about Trump’s upcoming fraud trial.

Letitia James is the latest legal adversary to win in court against Donald Trump, and attract the former president’s ire. Here’s the Guardian’s Edward Helmore with a look at the New York attorney general’s path to power, and to suing the Trump family:

New York attorney general Letitia James has never shied away from taking on powerful adversaries – from the National Rifle Association to former New York governor Andrew Cuomo.

On Monday she will take on her biggest case yet: a fraud trial that threatens the very foundation of Donald Trump’s New York real estate empire.

Critics have accused the 64-year-old career prosecutor of using her office, with 1,700 staff and over 700 assistant attorneys general, for political purposes. To others, the Democrat is a heroic figure: the first woman elected as New York’s attorney general and the first Black person to serve in the role. A fearless prosecutor who has taken on cases others would walk away from.

Like Trump, “Tish” James was born and raised in New York City. It’s about the only thing they have in common. Raised with her seven siblings in Brooklyn, James attended public schools in the city before getting her law degree at Howard University in Washington DC.

She started her law career as a public defender before entering New York politics as a council member and then as public advocate, the first Black woman to hold the watchdog role. James’ passions were clear from the start – she filed a record number of suits on behalf of tenants, seniors and people with disabilities. James became New York state attorney general in 2018.

From the Guardian’s Lauren Aratani, here’s a recap of what has happened so far today in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial:

Donald Trump arrived at a New York court just a few miles south of Trump Tower on Monday for the first day of a fraud trial that could see the former president and his family business paying hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and that has already threatened to end his business career in the city where it started.

The New York attorney general, Letitia James, has accused Trump of using false and misleading financial statements from 2011 to 2021 to make himself and his businesses wealthier, helping him broker deals and obtain financing. Based on her office’s three-year investigation, James is arguing that Trump owes at least $250m for committing fraud.

“This is a continuation of the single greatest witch-hunt of all time,” Trump said as he headed into court. He said his financial statements were “phenomenal,” called James, who is Black, a “racist” and a “horror show” and said the case was being overseen by a “rogue judge”.

“My message is simple: No matter how powerful you are, no matter how much money you think you may have, no one is above the law,” James said outside the court.

During the three-year investigation, James found that Trump had exaggerated the value of 23 of his properties and assets to the tune of hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. Trump used these financial statements to obtain favorable loans and make his net worth appear higher than it actually was.

Today, Donald Trump is in a New York City courtroom, but yesterday, he was having what can only be described as a weird one, the Guardian’s Michael Sainato reports:

Faced with a litany of criminal charges, Donald Trump on Sunday told a campaign rally in Iowa that he would prefer to die by electrocution rather than be eaten by a shark if he ever found himself on a rapidly sinking, electrically powered boat.

The former president and frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination delivered the bizarre remarks during a speech in the community of Ottuma. He was pontificating over batteries for electric powered boats while recounting a conversation he claimed to have with a boat manufacturer in South Carolina.

“If I’m sitting down and that boat is going down and I’m on top of a battery and the water starts flooding in, I’m getting concerned, but then I look 10 yards to my left and there’s a shark over there, so I have a choice of electrocution and a shark, you know what I’m going to take? Electrocution,” Trump said. “I will take electrocution every single time, do we agree?”

Trump then continued criticizing the prospect of any other sustainable energy technologies and claiming he would repeal the Joe Biden White House’s electric vehicle mandate.

“These people are crazy,” Trump said.

Donald Trump started off his day by attacking Arthur Engoron, the New York supreme court judge who will begin determining damages after finding last week that the former president and his family committed fraud.

Engoron is now set to be the latest character in Trump’s many legal dramas, and the Associated Press has a good profile of the 74-year-old judge:

He’s driven a taxi cab, played in a band and protested the Vietnam War. As a New York City judge, Arthur Engoron has resolved hundreds of disputes, deciding everything from zoning and free speech issues to a custody fight over a dog named “Stevie.”

Now, in the twilight of a distinguished two-decade career on the bench, the erudite, Ivy League-educated judge is presiding over his biggest case yet: deciding the future of former President Donald Trump’s real estate empire.

Last week, Engoron ruled that Trump committed years of fraud by exaggerating his wealth and the value of assets on financial statements he used to get loans and make deals. As punishment, the judge said he would dissolve some of Trump’s companies — a decision that could cause him to lose control of marquee New York properties, like Trump Tower.

Starting Monday, Engoron will preside over a non-jury trial in Manhattan to resolve remaining claims in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against Trump, his company and top executives. He will also decide on monetary damages. James’ office is seeking $250 million.

Trump, who is listed as a potential witness and could end up face-to-face with Engoron in court, called the judge’s fraud ruling “the corporate death penalty.” He referred to Engoron as a “political hack” and said his would appeal.

“I have a Deranged, Trump Hating Judge, who RAILROADED this FAKE CASE through a NYS Court at a speed never before seen,” the 2024 Republican frontrunner wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Through a court spokesperson, Engoron has declined to comment on Trump’s barbs. He is barred from commenting to the news media about the case.

Here’s Donald Trump in court for the opening of the damages phase of his civil fraud trial:

The damages in Donald Trump’s fraud trial will be determined not by a jury, but by one man: supreme court judge Arthur Engoron.

As the Guardian’s Hugo Lowell reports, that appears to be because the former president’s attorneys did not pay too close of attention to their paperwork:

We won’t have much visibility into the damages phase of Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial.

CNN reports that judge Arthur Engoron has turned down media outlets’ request that cameras broadcast today’s opening statements:

In brief remarks as he arrived at the courthouse, Donald Trump said his financial statements were “phenomenal”, even though a judge last week determined he and his family had committed fraud over the course of a decade:

The trial opening today is expected to take several weeks, and determine the amount of damages the former president and his children will have to pay.

In an all-caps post on his Truth social account containing at least one spelling error, Donald Trump accused Letitia James of being “CORRUPT & RACIST”.

He also called the presiding supreme court judge Arthur Engoron “ROGUE, OUT OF CONTROL” and “TRUMP HATING”.

Not a red carpet but a hallway of cameras is awaiting Donald Trump at the courthouse in downtown Manhattan.

It’s the first day of Trump’s fraud trial, where a judge will determine how much the former president will have to pay for fudging financial statements over the course of a decade.

Trump late Sunday night announced that he would be making an appearance in court the following day, though it is unclear if or when he will ultimately take the witness stand.

New York attorney general Letitia James is in attendance for the first day of the trial. James’ three-year investigation into Trump found that he inflated his net worth up by hundreds of millions of dollars and raised the value of his assets on financial statements. James is arguing that Trump should pay up at least $250m in fines.

Outside the courthouse early Monday morning, a small group of anti-Trump protestors stood in the middle of the street, chanting “Trump lies all the time”.

The trial is scheduled to start at 10 am ET.

Before stepping into the courthouse, attorney general Letitia James spoke briefly to reporters.

Here’s what she had to say:

Donald Trump has arrived at the Manhattan courthouse where a New York supreme court judge will today open the damages phase of his and his family’s civil fraud trial, the Associated Press reports.

The former president faces the prospect of significant penalties that could cost him control of some of his major real estate holdings, including Trump Tower in New York City.

Follow along here for more on the trial’s opening day.

New York attorney general Letitia James has arrived at the Manhattan courthouse where a judge will preside over the damages phase of Donald Trump and his family’s civil fraud trial:

The trial has also attracted the usual New York City protesters:

Minutes ago, Donald Trump’s presidential campaign sent out an email attacking Letitia James, the New York state attorney general who sued him and his family, alleging fraud.

A judge agreed with her last week, setting the stage for the trial opening today that will determine how much the Trump must pay for inflating their assets in order to secure better loan terms over a period of ten years.

In typical Trump form, the email is basically a list of attack on James, including calling her a “Democratic activist” and accusing her of being “soft on crime” and preventing “New York’s police officers from doing their jobs”. James is indeed a Democrat, and if she’s been trying to frustrate the police, evidence suggests she hasn’t been very good at it.

From the Guardian’s Lauren Aratani, here’s more about Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial happening in New York City today, and why it could have major financial consequences for the ex-president and his family:

Just a few miles south of Trump Tower in New York City, a judge on Monday will hear allegations of fraud within the Trump Organization in a trial that could see Donald Trump and his family business paying hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and that has already threatened to end his business career in the city where it started.

The New York attorney general, Letitia James, has accused Trump of using false and misleading financial statements from 2011 to 2021 to make himself and his businesses wealthier, helping him broker deals and obtain financing. Based on her office’s three-year investigation, James is arguing that Trump owes at least $250m for committing fraud.

During the three-year investigation, James found that Trump had exaggerated the value of 23 of his properties and assets to the tune of hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. Trump used these financial statements to obtain favorable loans and make his net worth appear higher than it actually was.

Trump said he will appear in court on Monday. “I’m going to Court tomorrow morning to fight for my name and reputation,” he said on his Truth Social account on Sunday.

Good morning, US politics blog readers. All eyes will be on a New York City courtroom this morning, where Donald Trump is expected to appear for the start of a trial that will determine the amount he and his children must pay after a judge last week determined they committed fraud. Presided over by New York supreme court justice Arthur Engoron, the trial is scheduled to last until 22 December and the former president is on the witness list, as are his children, meaning they could be called to the stand.

The trial is among the many legal entanglements Trump is involved in, none of which appear to have dented his large lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. But the implications for Trump could be damning. If the judge agrees with New York attorney general Letitia James, he could impose a large fine on the former president, and potentially do grievous damage to the business empire Trump used as the platform to launch the political career that brought him to the White House.

Here’s what else is happening today:

• Democrats are caught in the middle as far-right Republicans plan to attempt to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House of Representatives. Do they sign on to the effort, or use it as leverage to save McCarthy, in exchange for major concessions? We’ll hear lots about this today.

• California has a new senator: Laphonza Butler, the president of abortion rights group EMILY’s list, who governor Gavin Newsom appointed to fill the seat Dianne Feinstein vacated when she died last week.

• Karine Jean-Pierre will brief the White House press corps at 12.30pm eastern time, and perhaps elaborate on what Joe Biden thinks of all the drama in Congress.