New York, New York - Donald Trump is expected to face off with his former lawyer and ally Michael Cohen in court on Tuesday as the ex-president's New York civil fraud continues.

Cohen, who has become one of the former president's most vocal critics, had planned to testify at the trial last week but had to delay his appearance for health reasons.

Trump is not required to attend the proceedings, but he has showed up sporadically and used his appearances to portray himself as the victim of a Democratic plot to interfere with his 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump and his two eldest sons are accused of vastly inflating the value of the Trump Organization's real estate assets to receive more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.

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The former president does not risk going to jail in the fraud trial, but New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, is seeking $250 million in penalties and the removal of him and his sons from management of the family empire.

Cohen, who served as Trump's personal lawyer and fixer for years, earning him the nickname "The Pitbull," has been taunting the former president on X, ahead of his testimony.

"It appears that I will be reunited with my old client @realDonaldTrump when I testify," he said. "See you there!"

"I will continue to speak truth to power... no matter Donald's continued smear and harassment campaign against me," he added.

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It was Cohen's testimony before Congress in 2019 that sparked the investigation by the New York authorities into whether Trump artificially inflated his net worth.

Cohen is also expected to be a star witness in a criminal case facing the former president in New York for allegedly paying election-eve hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with the payment. He has pleaded not guilty.

Earlier this month, the former president withdrew a lawsuit he filed against Cohen in April seeking $500 million for alleged breach of attorney-client privilege and a confidentiality agreement.