Trump property fraud trial reaches close

The trial of Donald Trump, to assess how much he should be fined for inflating the value of his real estate empire, has drawn to a close. The civil hearing in New York, which will determine if Trump is stripped of his right to do business in the state, heard closing arguments for the $370m suit, which alleged that Trump falsely inflated the value of his assets to secure better deals from banks and insurance companies. Judge Engoron found, before the trial began, that Trump had committed fraud by overvaluing his assets, leaving the trial to focus on questions of intent and what the penalty should be. Trump ended the proceedings by launching into an impromptu speech, saying that he was the victim of a “political witch hunt”, and that reporting his Trump Tower apartment at three times its actual size “was an honest mistake”. Rounding on New York district Attorney Letitia James, who brought the case, Trump said: “They should pay me for what we have to go through, what they have done to me, reputationally and everything else.” The judge said he hoped to come to a final decision by the end of the month. The Times (£)The FT (£)The Telegraph (£)