Trump fraud trial live: Ex-president awaits blockbuster verdict as hush money court date set

Fani Willis accuses prosecution of ‘lying’ in bid to remove her from Trump case

Judge Arthur Engoron is expected to deliver a verdict in Donald Trump’s New York civil fraud trial on Friday that could see the former president hit with millions of dollars in fines and sanctions.

The justice has already ruled that Mr Trump inflated his wealth on financial statements that were given to banks and insurers to make deals and secure favourable loans.

New York attorney general Letitia James is seeking $370m and a ban on the defendant and his fellow Trump Organization executives from doing business in the state.

On Thursday, another Big Apple justice, Judge Juan Merchan, denied Mr Trump’s motion to dismiss the case brought against him by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg for allegedly falsifying business records to conceal a “hush money” payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels, setting a trial date of 25 March.

And in Georgia, Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis took to the witness stand to defend herself and former boyfriend Nathan Wade against a motion arguing they should be disqualified from prosecuting the sprawling racketeering case brought against Mr Trump and others over their alleged effort to interfere in the 2020 election in the Peach State.

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While we wait…

While we wait for proceedings to restart in Fulton County, here’s everything we learned yesterday in court:

Oliver O’Connell16 February 2024 15:36

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Georgia election case: Why does the defence counsel want Bradley to testify?

Anna Bower of Lawfare explains: “In a filing, Mike Roman’s counsel, Ashleigh Merchant, said that she expected Bradley to refute a key claim made by Willis and Wade: That their relationship did not begin until after he was appointed as special prosecutor.”

Oliver O’Connell16 February 2024 15:22

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NY fraud trial: What we learned about Trump’s properties

As we await the verdict in Trump’s New York case today, here’s Oliver O’Connell on what the affair has revealed about the former president’s real estate empire.

Joe Sommerlad16 February 2024 15:15

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Kushner says he will not serve in a second Trump administration

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner revealed this week that he has no intention of serving in a second administration should his wife’s father beat Joe Biden in November, insisting he is committed to his business ventures instead.

“Nothing in my life has gone according to the plans I’ve set, and that’s been the only consistent thing,” Kushner told an Axios event in Miami, stressing that he’s “very clear” about his preference for focusing on his private equity firm “at this phase” in his life.

Kushner was a senior adviser in his father-in-law’s administration but transitioned to the financial sector after leaving the White House in January 2021, founding a Florida investment firm called Affinity Partners.

Preferring family life “out of the spotlight”, Kushner insisted he is committed to “my investors, to my firm, to my employees, to my partners, and that’s what I’m planning to do.”

On Trump’s prospects, he said, “I think that the team around him is maybe the best he’s had,” adding that a second administration would have a greater “level of competence and professionalism” than last time.

(AFP/Getty)

Joe Sommerlad16 February 2024 14:45

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Georgia election case: Court on recess waiting on witness

Judge Scott McAfee has called a recess while the court waits for witness Terrence Bradley to arrive.

Mr Bradley was Nathan Wade’s former law partner and was briefly on the stand yesterday. There is some debate as to whether he can testify due to attorney-client privilege.

Oliver O’Connell16 February 2024 14:19

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Trump, facing 91 criminal charges, demands Biden impeachment in return

Well, he would wouldn’t he?

Here’s Andrew Feinberg on retaliation-as-policy.

Joe Sommerlad16 February 2024 14:15

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Watch LIVE: Trump Georgia case hearing on Fani Willis misconduct claims

Oliver O’Connell16 February 2024 14:13

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Georgia election case: Second day of Fani Willis hearing kicks off

The second day of the disqualification hearing of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s disqualification hearing has kicked off in Georgia.

Ms Willis was expected to be back on the witness stand but the state announced it had no further questions as proceedings got underway. Attorneys are currently debating who will be on the stand next.

Here’s what happened yesterday:

Oliver O’Connell16 February 2024 14:09

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Will Donald Trump go to prison?

Never a bad time to ask this question these days.

John Bowden offers this answer.

Joe Sommerlad16 February 2024 13:45

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NY hush money case: Cohen predicts Trump will be convicted ‘on all charges’

Very much enjoying himself, Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen told Erin Burnett on CNN’s OutFront that he is confident his estranged ex-boss is in big trouble over the payout to Stormy Daniels.

“I believe, based upon the information that I know, and based upon, not just the documentary evidence but the corroborating testimony from so many people, I believe that he will be found guilty on all charges,” Cohen said.

“I would say, at best, it would be a four-week case,” he added, describing it as “very simple”.

Cohen has been subpoenaed to testify in the case and predicted it would be less “fun” for him, explaining: “They get personal, they get nasty.”

Joe Sommerlad16 February 2024 13:15

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