Eric Trump tells fraud trial he had no knowledge of father’s financial affairs
The former president’s second son was giving evidence in a civil case brought by New York attorney general Letitia James.
Eric Trump, one of two sons entrusted to run Donald Trump’s real estate empire, swore on Thursday that he never involved himself with financial statements that state lawyers say fraudulently puffed up the ex-president’s wealth and the worth of the family business.
But when a New York state lawyer pulled up decade-old emails in which a fellow Trump Organisation executive asked him for information needed to complete one of his dad’s financial statements, the irritated son strove to clarify.
“We’re a major organisation, a massive real estate organisation — yes, I’m fairly sure I understand that we have financial statements. Absolutely,” Eric Trump testified.
But, he insisted: “I had no involvement and never worked on my father’s statement of financial condition.”
Both sons are Trump Organisation executive vice presidents.
Answering questions for a second day, Donald Trump Jr also revealed that gaming giant Bally’s recently paid their company 60 million US dollars (£49 million) to buy the right to operate a public golf course in New York City.
The terms of the lease transfer for the former Trump Golf Links Ferry Point in the Bronx had not previously been disclosed.
The sale came after the city strove to end Donald Trump’s association with the course after the January 6 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
The company managed the 18-hole course, now called Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point, until this year.
New York attorney general Letitia James is suing Donald Trump, his company and top executives including Eric and Donald Jr, accusing them of inflating the ex-president’s net worth on annual financial statements that were given to banks, insurers and others to secure loans and make deals.
The former president and other defendants deny wrongdoing.
