Donald Trump Jr. jokes around before getting grilled New York fraud case

New York, New York - Donald Trump Jr., the former president's eldest son, on Wednesday told the judge in the civil fraud trial that he had not been involved in the financial documents at the center of the prosecution.

Donald Trump Jr. recently testified in the New York fraud trial, claiming he was not involved with creating financial documents for the Trump Organization.
Donald Trump Jr. recently testified in the New York fraud trial, claiming he was not involved with creating financial documents for the Trump Organization.  © Seth Wenig / POOL / AFP

In a dark blue suit, light-colored shirt, and pink tie, Don Jr. (45) quipped to TV cameras: "I should have worn makeup!"

State attorney Colleen Faherty asked him who took over the organization once his father entered the White House in January 2017.

"A combination of myself, my brother [Eric] and Allen Weisselberg," the former chief financial officer who was sentenced in 2022 to time served for tax fraud, Don Trump replied, appearing at ease.

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He also presented himself as unfamiliar with accounting principles in the annual financial statements since 2016 that offer a snapshot of the family business, and are the heart of the state attorney's case. Don Jr. explained that he had put his trust in their accounting firm, Mazars.

"I wasn't involved in the compilation of this statement," he said. "The accountants worked on it. That's what we paid them to do."

Donald Trump and his family come under fire in the trial

Don Jr. is the first member of the Trump family to testify in the case in which the Trump Organization is accused of inflating the value of its assets by billions of dollars to obtain more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.

The former president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, who left the Trump Organization in 2017 to become a White House advisor to her father, is not a co-defendant in the case, but has also been ordered to testify. She has appealed the subpoena.

Trump recently raged at Judge Arthur Engoron on social media, demanding he "Leave my children alone," further adding "You are a disgrace to the legal profession!"

Don Jr. is scheduled to return to the stand on Thursday. His younger brother, Eric (39), is also expected to testify this week, and the former president himself may be questioned on Monday.

Cover photo: Seth Wenig / POOL / AFP

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