NEW YORK (AP) — After thwarting their long-running bid for an early ruling, Donald Trump’s legal professionals will start calling witnesses Monday within the New York civil fraud trial that threatens the previous president’s actual property empire.

First: Donald Trump Jr., who will return to the witness stand two weeks after being questioned by the state’s legal professional throughout a lot of the trial that additionally included testimony from his father and siblings Eric and Ivanka Trump.

Trump’s eldest son, who’s govt vp of the Trump Group, testified on November 1 and a couple of. He mentioned he by no means labored on the annual monetary statements that had been on the coronary heart of the lawsuit filed by New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James. He mentioned he relied on the corporate’s longtime CFO and outdoors accounts to confirm its accuracy.

James alleges that Donald Trump, his firm and its executives, together with Eric and Donald Jr., exaggerated his wealth by billions of {dollars} in monetary statements offered to banks, insurance coverage firms and others. The paperwork had been used to safe loans and make offers. It’s searching for greater than $300 million for what it says are ill-gotten positive aspects and a ban on the defendants from doing enterprise in New York.

Earlier than trial, Decide Arthur Engoron dominated that the defendants dedicated fraud by inflating his internet price and the worth of property in his monetary statements. The imposition of a penalty might strip Trump of distinguished properties like Trump Tower, although an appeals court docket is permitting him to stay in management for now.

The Trumps have denied any wrongdoing. Their legal professionals contend that the state failed to satisfy “any authorized normal” to show allegations of conspiracy, insurance coverage fraud and falsification of enterprise information. The state concluded its case final Wednesday after six weeks of testimony from greater than two dozen witnesses. Amongst them: firm insiders, accountants, financial institution officers and Trump aide-turned-enemy Michael Cohen.

The trial continues after Engoron rejected a protection request final week to finish it early by what is called directed sentencing. Engoron didn’t concern a choice on the request, however indicated that the trial would go forward as scheduled.

Trump’s lawyer, Christopher Case, who’s searching for a ruling that acquits Trump and the opposite defendants, mentioned final Thursday that the state’s case relates solely to “profitable and worthwhile mortgage transactions” and that “there isn’t a sufferer.” No complaints. There isn’t any harm.”

After testifying in early November, Donald Trump Jr. echoed his father’s claims that the case was “pure political persecution” introduced on by James, a Democrat, to weaken Trump’s probabilities because the front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

“I believe it is a actually scary precedent for New York — for me, for instance, even earlier than I’ve my day in court docket, it seems I am responsible of fraud for counting on accountants to do, watch for it: accounting,” Trump Jr. mentioned. He instructed reporters on November 2.

On Monday, Trump Jr. will first be questioned by protection attorneys representing him, his father and different defendants. He’s additionally anticipated to be cross-examined by a state legal professional when he’s cross-examined. Trump Jr. is anticipated to testify on Monday and Tuesday, adopted by a tax legal professional who additionally testified as a state witness.

The protection additionally plans to name a number of skilled witnesses as a part of their case in an try to refute the testimony of state witnesses that Trump’s monetary statements gave him higher mortgage phrases and insurance coverage premiums and had been a consider closing the offers.

When he grew to become president in 2017, Donald Trump turned over day-to-day administration of his firm to Eric and Donald Trump Jr. and appointed Trump Jr. trustee of a belief he created to carry his property whereas he was in workplace.

In Donald Trump Jr.’s earlier testimony, when requested if he had ever labored on his father’s “assertion of monetary situation,” the descendant mentioned: “Not that I recall.” Trump Jr. mentioned he signed the statements as a trustee, however left the work to exterior accountants and the corporate’s then-CFO and co-trustee Allen Weisselberg.