'Single greatest witch hunt of all time': Donald Trump launches eight-minute tirade as civil fraud trial begins

2 October 2023, 18:05 | Updated: 3 October 2023, 01:11

Donald Trump appeared at a Manhattan court for the beginning of a civil case in which he and his corporate empire have been accused of fraud over several years.

Wearing a dark suit and blue tie, Trump spoke to reporters shortly after arriving at court on Monday, saying that the proceedings are part of “the single greatest witch hunt of all time”.

He said: “We have a judge who ruled that the properties are worth a tiny fraction of what they actually are.

“We have a racist attorney general who is a horror show who ran on the basis that she was going to get Trump before she even knew anything about me. She used this to run for governor, she failed in her attempt to run for governor, she had virtually no poll. She came back and she said, ‘well, now I’ll go back to get Trump again,’ and this is what we have.

“It’s a scam, it’s a sham. Just so you know, my financial statements are phenomenal.”

Last week, New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron found he was liable for fraud which took place over the course of a decade.

The former president labelled the judge’s ruling “the corporate death penalty”.

Speaking inside the courtroom, Trump claimed Monday’s trial was “totally coordinated” because “[he’s] leading Biden by ten points and [he’s] leading the Republicans by 50 and 60 points.”

Read more: Melania Trump ‘renegotiates pre-nup’ after Donald Trump found liable for fraud

Read more: Judge rules Donald Trump defrauded banks and insurers as he built his empire

New York Attorney General Letitia James is calling for Donald Trump to pay at least $250m (£204m) in fines.

Trump had not been expected to attend in person but on Sunday night he confirmed he would appear at the Manhattan court.

The case marks the start of the several civil and criminal cases for Trump that will stretch into next year. He faces 91 criminal charges in four cases but denies any wrongdoing and says they amount to a witch-hunt to prevent him returning to the White House.

The trial could end up as a dispute over the punishment meted out to Trump, his sons Donald Jr, 45, and Eric, 39, and the company.

James had asked the judge to issue a summary judgment before the trial, arguing there was “undisputed evidence” that Trump and the company secured “hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten savings and profits”.

Engoron wrote in his ruling that court documents given in evidence “clearly contain fraudulent valuations”.

He said Trump and the company operated in a “fantasy world”, ignoring planning and rent restrictions to boost property value.

Trump is accused of overstating his wealth to secure larger bank loans.

In all, James alleges Trump boosted his net worth by as much as $3.6 billion.Engoron cited six properties that Trump overvalued in financial disclosures.

In the four years to 2016, when he won the presidential election, he claimed that his three-floor apartment at Trump Tower was three times bigger than it is.

This, the judge said, led to an overvaluation of up to $207 million. Trump’s legal team argued that the measurement was subjective but carried out in good faith, a notion rejected by the judge.