Trump appears in New York courtroom for civil trial

New York attorneys allege former President Donald Trump inflated his net worth by as much as $3.6 billion for years on business paperwork. Trump voluntarily attended the trial on Monday. The trial started after New York Judge Arthur Engoron ruled in a summary judgment last week saying that Trump defrauded banks and insurers by inflating the value of his assets on paperwork used in business deals. The non-jury trial before Engoron is to decide six other charges in the lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

What does Trump have to say? The former president has denied wrongdoing, saying that if anything he deflated the value of his assets on the paperwork and that no banks or insurers have suffered harm. He has said the accusations are part of a political witch hunt and called the trial a “sham.”

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta and Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew about separate New York criminal charges against Trump.