A verdict in former President Donald Trump's civil fraud trial in New York is expected to drop at the end of the week, following a two-week delay from its initial expected release date, a source with direct knowledge of the circumstances told NBC News. “It is currently anticipated the Engoron decision will be released on Friday, barring unforeseen circumstances,” the source told the outlet Tuesday.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron was initially expected to issue the verdict by Jan. 31, but a spokesperson for the court system said earlier this month that it would be delayed until "early to mid-February." The ruling was delayed as Engoron sought answers about a reported plea deal being negotiated with former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, who was accused of perjury during the trial. "After some back and forth in emails, the judge made his impatience with the former president’s team clear, potentially a bad omen for Mr. Trump," The New York Times reported.
“You and your co-counsel,” he wrote to one of the lawyers, “have been questioning my impartiality since the early days of this case, presumably because I sometimes rule against your clients. This whole approach is getting old.”
The ruling would bring to a close the monthslong trial that began Oct. 2 and saw testimony from Trump and his three eldest children, two of whom — his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. — were also defendants in the case. Closing arguments occurred Jan. 11.
New York Attorney General Letitia James brought the $370 million suit against Donald Trump, his sons and other key Trump Organization executives, accusing the group of exaggerating his assets to obtain better loan terms and make deals. James initially requested $250 million in damages and a ban on Trump's ability to do business in the state but later raised the financial penalty.
Engoron found Trump liable for defrauding banks and insurers in a September summary judgment. The three-month bench trial was held to determine the extent of the former president's punishment. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the case and called it a politically motivated "fraud on me."
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