Donald Trump Jr. took the witness stand in the civil fraud trial involving him and his father on Thursday. According to NBC News, Trump Jr. testified that he does not recall the specifics of several documents presented in court. However, he stated that the Trump Organization’s accountants and accounting firm, Mazars USA, would have a better understanding of the details. Trump Jr. explained that he relied on the accounting team, which included former Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg, and would consult with relevant parties to verify the accuracy of the information before authorizing the documents.
In response to a question about a 2017 loan document from Deutsche Bank, where Trump Jr. signed as “attorney in fact,” he claimed not to remember signing it. He further stated that he had likely signed numerous similar documents during his time as a trustee. Additionally, Trump Jr. asserted that he had no involvement in the organization’s statements of financial condition. During his testimony, Mazars employee Donald Bender, who compiled the Trump Organization’s financial statements, attributed the inflated values in the statements to information provided by the Trumps. Conservative attorney George Conway criticized Trump Jr.’s claims, calling them “ridiculous.” He argued that management representation letters are meant to be relied upon by accountants.
MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin expressed her opinion on the matter, stating that Trump Jr.’s admissions were extremely damaging. She emphasized that despite the seemingly mundane nature of reviewing financial documents, the attorney general (AG) took issue with the truthfulness of the representations made. Rubin also found it stunning that Trump Jr. signed the document without having a more thorough discussion with the same accountants to whom the representations were made, especially considering the ongoing investigation.
Overall, Trump Jr.’s testimony and the reactions from legal experts indicate potentially significant implications for the ongoing civil fraud trial.
