Donald Trump asked a judge to delay the trial in the New York attorney general’s civil fraud suit over his company’s asset valuations, saying the current Oct. 2 date doesn’t give him enough time to craft a defense.
(Bloomberg) — Donald Trump asked a judge to delay the trial in the New York attorney general’s civil fraud suit over his company’s asset valuations, saying the current Oct. 2 date doesn’t give him enough time to craft a defense.
Trump attorney Alina Habba said in a court filing late Thursday that the former president needs more time to gather testimony from expert witnesses and review millions of pages of evidence handed over by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“While granting such relief ultimately impacts the trial date, there is simply no demonstrable urgency in getting this case to trial,” Habba said. The current schedule is “extraordinarily expedited and unprecedented,” she said.
She asked to extend several deadlines in the case, in New York state court, into early December but did not propose a new trial date.
Trump, three of his adult children and his company were sued by New York in September for allegedly manipulating the value of Trump’s assets and reaping $250 million in ill-gotten financial benefits as a result. The case is among the biggest legal threats to Trump as he campaigns for a return to the White House in 2024.
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James has cited Trump’s many efforts to delay her three-year investigation. The judge overseeing the case, Justice Arthur Engoron in Manhattan, said at a recent hearing that the trial would start in October “come hell or high water.”
James’s press office didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the filing.
In the filing, Trump’s lawyer criticized what she described as an effort by James to rush the case to trial and shorten the period for gathering and reviewing evidence.
“What the attorney general truly seeks is to deny defendants any real ability to prepare and present a defense,” Habba said.
The case is New York v. Trump, 452564/2022, Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York (Manhattan).
(Updates with details and context starting in third paragraph.)
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