New York is looking to get justice for hundreds of millions of dollars that they believe were lost due to fraud in a long-standing case against President Donald Trump.
The case, initially brought by former New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, has been winding its way through the courts since 2013. It involves allegations that Trump and the Trump Organization misused funds from Trump’s charitable foundation, and failed to comply with charity laws.
Now, the case has gone to trial, and New York is seeking to recover $250 million in damages. Trump has denied, and continues to deny, any wrong doing.
The trial, which has only just begun, is being held in the New York Supreme Court and is expected to last several weeks. The Attorney General of New York, Letitia James, has stated that she “is ready to get justice for the victims of these alleged crimes” and that she “will see to it that all those responsible are held accountable.”
At issue is whether or not payments made by the foundation to certain businesses or organizations were legal, or whether Trump and his company used charity funds for personal benefit. The state of New York has alleged that Trump used charitable funds to cover some of his family’s legal fees and make payments to settle lawsuits, as well as to aid his campaign.
Trump has denied all of the allegations, claiming that the donations to his foundation were legally done, and he is contesting the lawsuit. He has also argued that this case is politically motivated.
The trial is also being closely watched by the public — to see if justice can be done. It will be interesting to see what the verdict will be, and how it will shape how Trump — and politics — are conducted in the future.
