🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Donald Trump Jr. is likely to go on the offensive when he testifies in the New York fraud case on Wednesday, a federal attorney has said.
He is the first of three Trump siblings to be called to the witness stand in New York Attorney General Letitia James' $250 million lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, his two eldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization.
The lawsuit brought by James accuses Mr. Trump and the other defendants of fraudulently inflating the value of assets to obtain favorable loans and insurance deals. Trump and his children have denied any wrongdoing in the case.
"Donald Trump Jr. is more likely to be forthcoming in his testimony and drive home his defense that this is a witch hunt," federal attorney Colleen Kerwick told Newsweek.
She contrasted his style with that of his sister, Ivanka Trump, who is expected to testify next week.
"While Ivanka was close to many of the transactions which are the subject of the civil fraud trial, she is likely to continue in her efforts to avoid testifying and, if that fails, then she [will be] 'not recalling' a whole lot," Kerwick said.
Newsweek reached out to attorneys for Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr. via email for comment.
Kerwick said that James' lawyers will be looking very closely for any inconsistencies between the three siblings in their evidence.
This week, the attorney general plans to call Trump's sons to the witness stand, who are expected to face tough examination by lawyers from James's office. Donald Trump Jr. is expected to testify on Wednesday, and Eric Trump on Thursday. Trump himself is expected to take the stand next Monday, November 6.
Ivanka Trump had been due to give evidence on Friday when the Manhattan trial typically meets for a half-day session, but lawyers in the case said her evidence is likely to take a full day, if not longer. Judge Arthur Engoron, who last week rejected her bid to avoid giving evidence, said she will now appear on November 8.
Last weekend, the former president complained on Truth Social that his children had to give evidence in the case: "My daughter, Ivanka, was released from this Fake Letitia James case by the Court of Appeals," Trump wrote in one post.
Trump also criticized Engoron, who fined him $15,000 for breaking a gag order against criticizing court staff: "I truly believe he is CRAZY, but certainly, at a minimum, CRAZED in his hatred of me," Trump wrote.
Before the trial, Engoron ruled that Trump and the other defendants were liable for fraud and that he would decide the monetary penalty at a later date.
As a consequence, Engoron canceled the business licenses that have enabled Trump to operate his companies in New York, but an appeals court stayed that part of the judge's order.
fairness meter
About the writer
Sean O'Driscoll is a Newsweek Senior Crime and Courts Reporter based in Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. law. ... Read more