THREE DAYS
NOW THE TRIAL SET TO
BEGIN IN THE CIVIL FRAUD CASE
AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP
AND HIS ADULT SONS AFTER A STATE
APPELLATE COURT DENIED TRUMP'S
MOTION TO STAY THE TRIAL
YESTERDAY.
TRUMP HAS BEEN FIND LIABLE FOR
FRAUD AND THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION'S BUSINESS
CERTIFICATION HAS BEEN CANCELED.
THE JUDGE SAYS TRUMP INFLATED
THE VALUES OF HIS GOLF COURSES
AND HOTELS AS WELL AS HIS HOMES
AT MAR-A-LAGO AND SEVEN SPRINGS
ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST IS HERE
WITH MORE.
WANTED IT STAYED, WANTED IT
DELAYED.
THEY'RE GOING TO TRIAL.
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?
>> THIS THING IS A "GO," POPPY,
STARTING MONDAY.
IT'S A CIVIL CASE, NOT A
CRIMINAL CASE BROUGHT BY THE NEW
YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL
LETITIA JAMES AGAINST DONALD
TRUMP AND HIS SONS AND THE
BUSINESSES THEY RAN.
CORE ALLEGATION, TRUMP AND HIS
BUSINESSES SYSTEMATICALLY AND
DRAMATICALLY OVERINFLATED THE
VALUE OF THEIR REAL ESTATE
HOLDINGS AND THEIR ASSETS.
GIVE YOU ONE QUICK EXAMPLE.
MAR-A-LAGO, THE ACTUAL
BUILDINGS, THE PLANT THERE, WAS
ASSESSED BY THE PALM BEACH
COUNTY ASSESSOR, NOT SOME
PARTISAN INTEREST, AT BEING
WORTH ABOUT $20 MILLION.
BUT DONALD TRUMP IN HIS
PAPERWORK CLAIMED MAR-A-LAGO WAS
WORTH $500 MILLION.
I DID THE MATH ON THAT.
THAT'S A LOT.
WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS?
BECAUSE THEY WOULD GO THEN TO
BANKS INCLUDING DEUTSCH AND
OTHERS AND USE INFLATED VALUES
TO GET HIGHER LORNES THAN THEY
MIGHT OTHERWISE GET AT BETTER
INTEREST RATES.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
AG WON AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF
THIS CASE.
DONALD TRUMP LOST THAT PIECE OF
THE CASE.
THE JUDGE ON THIS CASE, JUDGE
ARTHUR ENGERON ISSUED A JUDGMENT
ON ONE OF THE COUNTS IN THE CASE
FOR REPRESENTATIVE PERSISTENT
FRAUD SAYING DONALD TRUMP
ASSESSMENTS CAME FROM A FANTASY
WORLD NOT THE REAL WORLD.
>> WHAT'S INTERESTING IS,
TRUMP'S LEGAL TEAM CHOSE A BENCH
TRIAL. NOT A JURY TRIAL.
THIS JUDGE, AGAIN, WHO'S GOING
TO MAKE THE RULING AFTER ALL THE
WITNESSES TESTIFY, WHICH IS JUST
FASCINATING TO ME.
>> YEAH.
>> WHAT KIND OF WITNESSES WILL
TAKE THE STAND?
>> SO WE ARE GETTING A SENSE
NOW, SEEING THE PARTIES WITNESS
LIST.
FIRST OF ALL THOSE LISTS INCLUDE
DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF, HIS ADULT
CHILDREN, DON JR., ERIC AND
IVANKA TRUMP.
INTERESTING TO NOTE.
IN A CRIMINAL CASE PROSECUTORS
CANNOT SUBPOENA,S FOR THE
DEFENDANT TO TAKE THE STAND.
VIOLATES THE FIFTH AMENDMENT
RIGHT'S IN A CIVIL CASE THEY
CAN. IF THAT HAPPENS TRUMP AND HIS
CHILDREN HAVE TWO CHOICES.
TESTIFY.
RISKY, THOUGH.
SAW DONALD TRUMP'S DEPOSITION IN
THE CASE.
A DISASTER.
BUT THEY CAN ALSO TAKE THE FIFTH
AMENDMENT, BUT IN A CIVIL CASE,
ANY TAKE THE TFIFTH AMENDMENT TE
JUDGE CAN CONSIDER THAT AGAINST
THEM. >> LACK OF INTENT, LACK OF
KNOWLEDGE, THE DEFENSE?
>> A COUPLE.
DONALD TRUMP ARGUED AND WILL
CONTINUE TO ARGUE SENSE OF REAL
ESTATE, OBJECTIVITY.
THE JUDGE SAID NOT BY 25 TIMES.
ALSO GOING TO ARGUE TRUMP'S TEAM
THEY ARE WAIVERS, WHAT THEY
CALLED THE WORTHLESS CLAUSE
SAYING OUR NUMBERS HERE,
WORTHLESS.
DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THEM.
JUDGE SAID, THAT WORTHLESS
CLAUSE ITSELF IS WORTHLESS.
THEN FINALLY, TRUMP'S TEAM WILL
ARGUE, NO VICTIM, NO LOSS.
>> REPAID THE LOANS?
>> GOT 3PAID BACK WITH INTEREST.
DOESN'T MATTER FOR THE AG BUT IT
WILL MATTER FOR THE OTHER
COUNTS.
>> TIME LEFT TURN TO GEORGIA.
FASCINATING.
ON THE AIR AS THIS BROKE.
NOT TRYING TO MOVE THIS RICO
CASE TO FEDERAL COURT FOR TRUMP.
WHY? >> I ADMIT TO BEING STUNNED BY
THIS ONE.
SAW MARK MEADOWS TRY TO MAKE
THIS MOVE UNSUCCESSFULLY.
FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTED IT.CLA'S
OF MAKING THAT ARGUMENT.
DONALD TRUMP'S TEAM SAID NO.
STAY IN STATE COURT.
TWO STRATEGIC REASONS COULD
DRIVE THIS.
ONE, STATE JUDGE HAS BEEN RIGHT
DOWN THE MIDDLE GIVEN RULINGS
TRUMP LIKES.
WANT TO STAY WITH HIM.
SECOND OF ALL, THAT STATE TRIAL
IS VERY FAR OFF.
GOING TO GET TO SEE EARLY TRIAL
FIRST. I THINK THEY LIKE THE TIMING,
PROCEDURAL POSTURE THEY'RE IN.
WORRIED IF THEY GOT MOVED TO
FEDERAL COURT COULD BE PUT ON A
FAST TRACK.
>> APPROACH OF PROSECUTORS IN
THESE CASES THAT GO BEFORE THEN
AND THEN COULD SEE IT ALL ON TV AND THEN COULD SEE IT ALL ON TV
IF IT STAYS IN STATE COURT.
>> QUITE A TWIST.
>> APPRECIATE IT.