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The first of two days of testimony from Donald Trump's adult sons got underway today in the $250 million civil fraud trial against the former president's family and their company.
Donald Trump Jr. took the stand today and faced questions about his role at the Trump Organization, particularly as it pertains to financial statements that the New York Attorney General's Office said were purposely inflated to benefit the company.
Trump Jr. will be back on the stand tomorrow to answer more questions from lawyers with the AG's office. He will be followed by testimony from his brother Eric Trump. Both have worked as executive vice presidents at the company.
Looking ahead to next week, former President Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump are expected to take the stand.
What to know about the Trump family's testimony
- Donald Trump Jr. was asked about his involvement in financial statements that the New York attorney general alleges were grossly inflated.
- Attorney General Letitia James' office claims that the former president's children were "aware of, and knowingly participated in," a long-running scheme to falsely inflate the company's assets to land loans and insurance policies on more favorable terms than they were entitled to.
- Eric Trump could testify tomorrow, while the former president and his daughter Ivanka are expected to take stand next week.
- All of the family members have denied wrongdoing.
Donald Trump Jr. testifies in the New York civil fraud trial.
Courtroom sketch: Trump Jr. on the stand
Prosecutor Colleen Faherty and Donald Trump Jr. in court today.
Trump Jr. leaves courthouse
After having begun his testimony in the civil fraud case this afternoon, Trump Jr. departed the courthouse around 4:40 p.m. ET through the front steps and left in a gray SUV.
James has also left the courthouse.
An altercation broke out in front of the court after their departures. Three NYPD cops responded. NBC News was told the incident was not related to the Trumps.
Court over for the day; Trump Jr. back on the stand tomorrow
Court adjourned for the day at around 4:30 ET. Trump Jr. is set to return tomorrow to continue his direct examination.
The judge told him not to discuss the case with anyone while he's still on the stand.
During today's proceedings, Trump Jr. spoke quickly on the witness stand, and at one point the judge asked him to slow down.
“I apologize, your honor. I moved to Florida but kept the New York pace,” he responded.
Trump Jr. recounts his responsibilities at Trump Organization
During his direct examination, the president's son outlined his responsibilities as executive vice president at his father's company, both before and after his father was elected to the White House.
Before his father's election, Trump Jr. said, he focused on a wide array of tasks, including international business, leasing and branding. He said he and his siblings Eric and Ivanka had their own "silos" and generally reported only to Trump and the company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg.
After Trump was elected, Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Weisselberg took over the company but retained their executive vice president titles. Asked whether Weisselberg still held the same post, Trump Jr. said: "No, because of legal issues he got himself into" — a reference to Weisselberg's indictment and guilty plea to tax fraud charges.
Trumps 'relied heavily' on former accountant, Trump Jr. says
Asked about the Trump Organization's former accountant, Trump Jr. said he was someone the family trusted and relied on.
Donald Bender "worked for us for decades. He handled practically everything. He was an outside accountant that we relied heavily on for our accounting needs," Trump Jr. said.
Bender testified earlier in the trial and blamed inflated numbers in the financial statements he compiled on the information he got from the Trumps. Trump's attorney suggested during Bender's cross-examination that he was at fault because he was the accountant, and accounting was outside the family's area of expertise.
Asked later about the financial statements he signed off on, Trump Jr. said he wasn’t involved in preparing them but felt he had an “obligation” to listen to what Bender’s firm put together. “These people had incredible intimate knowledge, and I relied on them,” he said.
Bender also testified in the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the Trump Organization last year. The company was found guilty of tax fraud and fined $1.6 million.
Trump trial takes a break
The judge said the court would take a brief break. The trial is expected to resume a little before 3:45 p.m.
'I have no understanding,' Trump Jr. quips on the stand
Trump Jr. seemed relaxed on the witness stand as the AG's office questioned about him about his professional background and his understanding of various financial terms related to real estate.
He said he was aware of what GAAP is — "generally accepted accounting principles. It was accounting 101 in the late 1990s" — but other than that, "I know nothing about GAAP." He said he leaves details of matters like that to his accountants.
Trump Jr. also said he was not familiar with ASC — accounting standards codification — and whether it applied to the statements of financial condition he signed off on at the company. The judge then asked him whether he had any understanding of it. "I have no understanding," he said with a laugh.
Trump Jr. takes the witness stand
The AG's financial expert has finished testifying, and the attorney general's office has called Donald Trump Jr. to the witness stand.
Photographers were allowed in to the courtroom to take his picture before he got on the stand. "I should have worn makeup," he quipped.
Trump Jr. arrives at the courthouse
The former president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., arrived at the courthouse during the lunch break flanked by a number of uniformed officers.
He declined to comment as he walked up the stairs of the courthouse at 60 Centre St. He's expected to take the stand after his company's lawyers finish questioning the state AG's financial expert.