Donald Trump loses appeal to delay New York fraud trial

Key PointsA New York appeals court has rejected an application to delay Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial.The trial is scheduled to begin on 2 October, and could last well into December.Trump has been accused of fraudulently overstating his assets and net worth.

A New York appeals court has refused to delay Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial set to begin on Monday.

The former United States president accused the trial judge of wrongly refusing to throw out most of the case and maintains he is not guilty of the charges.

In a brief order, a five-judge panel of the Appellate Division, a mid-level appeals court in Manhattan, denied Trump’s motion to postpone the trial.

It also lifted a 14 September order by Justice David Friedman to put the trial on hold while it considered Trump’s motion. Friedman was part of Thursday’s panel.

What charges is Donald Trump facing?

Earlier this week, New York Justice Arthur Engoron found that Trump and his family business persistently and fraudulently overvalued his assets and net worth in order to obtain better terms on loans and insurance.

The judge said the defendants were living in “a fantasy world, not the real world”, as they made up valuations for properties including Trump’s Mar-a-Lago compound in Florida and Trump Tower penthouse in Manhattan.

Engoron said he had found “conclusive evidence” that Trump had overstated his fortune by as much as US$2.2 billion ($3.48 billion).

Last year,

, accusing him, his adult sons, the Trump Organization and others of “staggering fraud” in how they valued properties.

James is seeking at least US$250 million ($391 million) in penalties, a ban against Trump and his sons Donald Jr and Eric from running businesses in New York, and a five-year commercial real estate ban against Trump and the Trump Organization.

The case is unrelated to the

s, including for trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all claims the charges are part of a politically-motivated Democratic witch hunt as he

Donald Trump and sons to testify next week

Despite his legal woes, Trump holds a commanding lead for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Trump sued Engoron on 14 September, seeking to delay the trial and accusing him of ignoring a June ruling from the appeals court that, according to Trump, required gutting James’ case because many of her claims were too old.

Engoron’s decision on Tuesday showed that he believed the appeals court ruling had little effect on James’ case.

He also ordered the cancellation of certificates that let some of Trump’s businesses operate and could force Trump to cede control of some of his estates.

The former US president, his sons and several Trump Organisation executives have been called to testify in the trial, appearing on a list of roughly 100 witnesses.

The attorney-general’s list also includes Trump’s one-time personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who has turned against his former boss, and Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, who the appeals court dismissed as a defendant in June.

A trial is scheduled for 2 October, and could last well into December.

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