Judge in Donald Trump's $370M N.Y. fraud case delays ruling until mid-February

Ehren Wynder
·2 min read
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Judge Arthur Engoron now expects to reach a verdict in former President Donald Trump's civil fraud case by mid-February. The case brought last September by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accuses Trump, his eldest sons and his family business of inflating Trump's net worth by more than $2 billion by overvaluing his real estate portfolio. File Pool Photo by Mike Segar/UPI
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Feb. 1 (UPI) -- New York state Judge Arthur Engoron now expects to issue a verdict against Donald Trump some time from early to mid-February, delaying a long-anticipated outcome in the former president's civil fraud trial.

A spokesperson for the New York State Office of Court Administration said the new timeline still is a "rough estimate" and "subject to modification."

At the end of Trump's trial last month in Manhattan Supreme Court, Engoron said he expected to issue a ruling Wednesday, but there was "no guarantee."

The verdict will determine how much Trump and his co-defendants must pay in penalties and whether the former president and real estate mogul could continue doing business in New York.

New York Attorney General Letitia James had asked the judge to fine Trump $370 million and permanently ban him from working in the New York real estate sector.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump faces the possibility of a permanent ban from running a business in New York state and $370 million in penalties in the case brought by state Attorney General Letitia James. File Pool Photo by Michael M. Santiago/UPI
Former U.S. President Donald Trump faces the possibility of a permanent ban from running a business in New York state and $370 million in penalties in the case brought by state Attorney General Letitia James. File Pool Photo by Michael M. Santiago/UPI

She had accused Trump and his associates, including his sons, of inflating the value of their business assets, including 40 Wall Street, Trump Tower and the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Documents detailing the value of the assets were sent to banks and insurers to secure loans and deals. Trump has maintained no wrongdoing, and said the banks who received the documents did their own due diligence.

Engoron in September found the defendants liable for fraud, revoked the Trump Organization's New York business license, and ordered a receiver to take charge of its New York properties and oversee their dissolution.

Closing arguments for the damages phase of the trial were heard in mid-January, during which Trump accused James of initiating a "politically motivated" lawsuit against him and the Trump Organization.