Trump’s Civil Fraud Trial Begins in New York Court

Former president and GOP frontrunner Donald Trump appeared in New York court on Monday as his $250 million civil fraud trial kicked off.

Key Quotes: New York Attorney General Letitia James released a statement Monday reading, “For years, Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth to enrich himself and cheat the system,” adding, “No matter how rich or powerful you are, there are not two sets of laws for people in this country.” Speaking with reporters, Trump accused James of engaging in a politically-motivated attack, stating, “The crime is against me because we have a corrupt District Attorney, we have a corrupt Attorney General. They’re trying to damage me so that I don’t do as well as I’m doing in the election. Our country has gone to hell… So what we have here is an attempt to hurt me in an election.”

For Context: James is accusing Trump of inflating his net worth and the valuations of his properties to obtain better loan conditions and tax benefits. Last week, the judge ruled Trump is liable for fraud and canceled the Trump Organization’s business certification. During court Monday, an accountant who worked on Trump’s tax returns testified as the first witness.

How the Media Covered It: The Washington Times (Lean Right bias) framed coverage around Trump’s claims that the trial was politically motivated. The New York Times (Lean Left bias) reported that the first day of court was “laying the groundwork for a reckoning of the former president’s net worth.”