Donald Trump Jr. testified in his father’s fraud trial on Wednesday, claiming he never worked on the financial statements at the heart of the case.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, recently brought a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump alleging that his company and top executives, including his two sons, had been conspiring to exaggerate his wealth in financial statements that were given to banks and insurers to secure loans and make deals.
Donald Trump Jr., who served as executive vice president of the Trump Organization and headed a trust of his father’s assets while he served in the White House, testified on Wednesday that he never worked on financial statements and never misled insurers and banks. Per the Associated Press:
At least one of the annual financial statements bore language saying the trustees “are responsible” for the document. But Donald Trump Jr. said he didn’t recall ever working on any of the financial statements and had “no specific knowledge” of them.
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.
“I had an obligation to listen to the people with intimate knowledge of those things,” he said.
“I wasn’t 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,” he added.
Donald Trump Jr. will return to the stand on Thursday. At least one moment during his Wednesday appearance sparked some social media buzz when he joked on how he should’ve worn makeup in the face of so many reporters and photographers.
Arthur Engoron, the Democrat who will decide the case with no jury due to New York State law, had previously ruled before the trial that the former president’s financial statements were fraudulent and ordered that a “court-appointed receiver seize control of some Trump companies, potentially stripping the former president and his family of such marquee properties as Trump Tower, though an appeals court has halted enforcement for now,” according to the AP.
“Leave my children alone, Engoron,” Trump wrote Truth Social Wednesday.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.