Trump’s New York fraud trial to wrap up, with millions of dollars on the line

BBC

Donald Trump has returned to Manhattan Supreme Court once more as his lawyers try to convince a judge that the state’s fraud case against him is “manufactured”.

A judge has already determined that Trump family members and executives fraudulently inflated assets to secure favourable loans.

But the trial will determine penalties.

Mr Trump’s legal team was the first to deliver closing arguments on Thursday after weeks of courtroom tensions.

During the morning court session, Mr Trump’s attorney Christopher Kise repeated his main arguments in a final pitch to the judge – that the case was politically motivated and that Mr Trump’s real estate valuations did not cause any harm to banks or anyone else.

“The marketplace functioned as it should,” he said of Mr Trump’s real estate dealings.

The former president had sought to make a final statement himself at court on Thursday.

But Judge Arthur Engoron has denied him permission to speak after Mr Trump failed to agree to present a standard closing argument and to not make a campaign speech, malign the judge or his staff, or introduce new evidence or ideas.

The New York Attorney General’s team will make closing arguments on Thursday afternoon.

Court began on Thursday after court officials told reporters there had been a bomb threat made at Judge Engoron’s home on Long Island. Local police later told US media that the threat was a “swatting incident”, a hoax call made to police to send law enforcement to a home.

Mr Trump spoke to reporters briefly before entering the courtroom on Thursday morning, repeating claims that the fraud case was a political “witch hunt”.

“It’s a very unfair trial,” he said, adding that he still hoped to speak in court…