Trump Delays Deposition in Cohen Lawsuit, to Attend N.Y. Civil Fraud Trial

Donald Trump on Friday disclosed his intention to appear in person at New York’s $250 million civil fraud trial against the former president and his company.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, filed the suit Sept. 22, 2022, claiming Trump artificially inflated asset values by billions of dollars annually in order to deceive banks and insurers for favorable loan and policy terms. Trump denies the claim.

Judge Arthur Engoron ruled Tuesday that Trump was liable on one of seven causes of action filed by James, with the remainder proceeding to trial Monday.

Trump’s revelation he would attend the New York trial came in an unrelated matter. In a filing Friday, he asked to reschedule a deposition set to take place in his lawsuit against his former attorney, Michael Cohen, according to The Hill.

In April, Trump sued Cohen, accusing him of breaching their attorney-client relationship by disseminating damaging falsehoods. Trump also alleged Cohen violated a nondisclosure pact and falsely represented a $74,000 business expense, allegations Cohen contested.

Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres, who oversees proceedings in Miami, acceded to Trump’s request, BNN Bloomberg reported.

Torres rescheduled the deposition from Oct. 3 to Oct. 9, rebuking Trump for his prior agreement to sit for the deposition despite long-standing awareness of the trial overlap.

This delay further complicates Trump’s tumultuous legal agenda, marked by previous clashes over trial and deposition dates. As he campaigns for a potential return to the White House in 2024, Trump finds himself entangled in four criminal cases and multiple civil lawsuits.

Cohen, a potential New York trial witness, accused Trump of inflating his net worth to deceive financial institutions. Cohen, who previously pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations and bank fraud, is now a vocal Trump critic.