Judge pushes back after Trump lawyer attacks New York attorney general in opening statement
From CNN's Lauren del Valle, Aaron Cooper, Kara Scannell and Jeremy Herb
Judge Arthur Engoron rebutted attacks from Donald Trump's attorney Alina Habba against New York Attorney General Letitia James, responding to her opening statement and getting into a debate with the attorney over her claims.
In her statement, Habba attacked James for saying in her campaign for attorney general that she was going to “get Trump.”
Engoron, who ruled last week that Trump and his co-defendants were liable for fraud in the attorney general’s civil case against Trump, responded by noting that the defense already tried to dismiss the case claiming that James brought it as a “witch hunt” against Trump.
“I denied that,” Engoron said, adding that the ruling was affirmed by a New York appellate court. “So Ms. James’ motivations are no longer at issue in this case, are they?”
Trump intently watched Habba as she sparred with the judge.
"These statements of financial condition were current, current market value. The point is what were they worth then," Engoron said, pushing back on Habba's assertion that the inflated values showed what they could be sold for at some point in the future.
An accounting disclaimer from Mazars, Trump’s former accounting firm, essentially said, “We're relying on the Trump Organization," Engoron said. "That's how I read it.”
“No, your honor," Habba responded, arguing that the Trump Organization relied on Mazars and "they're the accountants."
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