Judge to Preside Over Arguments in President Trump’s New York Fraud Lawsuit

The New York judge in the $250 million fraud lawsuit against former President Donald Trump and co-defendants is expected to hear arguments on a motion for summary judgment on Friday, ABC News is reporting.

New York Attorney General Letitia James filed suit against Trump and his company alleging they defrauded banks, insurers, and others with annual financial statements that inflated the value of his skyscrapers, golf courses, and other assets and boosted his net worth by as much as $3.6 billion, according to The Associated Press. Her lawsuit is looking to ban Trump from doing business in New York and seeks $250 million in penalties.

Trump has denied all wrongdoing in the case. And attorneys for the former president, maintaining there is a lack of evidence, have asked Judge Arthur Engoron to decide the case before trial, the network news reported.

The trial is currently scheduled to start on Oct. 2.

A state appeals court judge earlier this month ordered a potential postponement of the non-jury trial after Trump’s lawyers filed a lawsuit accusing Engoron of repeatedly abusing his authority, the AP reported.

Justice David Friedman, a judge on the state’s intermediate appellate court, granted an interim stay of the trial and ordered the full appeals court to consider the lawsuit on an expedited basis.

The court indicated it would issue a decision the week of Sept. 25, meaning the trial could still start on schedule depending on how it rules.