Eric Trump says he ‘didn’t know anything about’ financial statements
Eric testified that he had "never worked" on the Trump Organization's statement of financial condition and "didn't know anything about it until this case came to fruition."
“I was 26 at the time,” he said — following a similar tactic used by his eldest brother, Trump Jr., who took the stand earlier in the day and tried to shift responsibility to the company's accountants when asked about the financial statements that the state attorney general's office alleged were grossly inflated.
"I don't think I ever saw or worked on a statement of financial condition," Eric said. "I don’t believe I would have known about it — not what I did."
Eric Trump takes the witness stand
Eric has entered the courtroom and taken the witness stand.
The judge had let the press inside the room take photos before starting Eric's direct examination.
"Does everyone have their makeup on?" Engoron quipped, prompting laughter from Eric, who is wearing a navy suit, and others sitting at the defense table.
“You think they got enough photos,” Engoron added, as the press left the room.
Trump Jr. is excused after defense declines to cross-examine
Trump Jr. was excused from the stand shortly after 11:30 a.m. ET, and the defense team declined to cross-examine him.
Trump Jr. says he did not 'have anything to do' with statements of financial condition
When asked if he had "anything to do" with the statements of financial condition, Trump Jr. testified that he did not.
Bender — who worked for the accounting firm, Mazars USA, that compiled the Trump Organization’s “Statements of Financial Condition” — testified earlier in the trial and blamed inflated numbers in the financial statements he compiled on the information he got from the Trumps.
Lawyers for the defense implied during Bender’s cross-examination that he was at fault because he was the accountant, and such work was outside the family’s area of expertise.
Trump Jr. testifies he doesn't recall specifics of documents, relied on accounting team
After an afternoon on the stand yesterday, Trump Jr. is back. He said in direct examination this morning that he doesn’t recall the specifics of several documents he was presented with in court, but that the Trump Organization’s accountants and accounting firm, Mazars USA, would be more familiar with the details.
He said that he relied on the accounting team, which included Allen Weisselberg, who was the company's CFO, and would ask all relevant parties if the information in the documents were correct and then he would sign off on them.
Asked about a loan document from Deutsche Bank in 2017 on which he signed as “attorney in fact,” Trump Jr. said he didn’t remember signing it, but added: “I’m sure I've signed dozens of these in my time as trustee.”
Trump Jr. and Eric Trump arrive at court
Trump’s two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, have arrived in court in Manhattan.
What to expect at trial today
Trump Jr. is set to take the stand again today and continue his testimony. His younger brother Eric is also expected to testify today.
The attorney general’s lawsuit describes Eric as being responsible “for all aspects of management and operation of the Trump Organization including new project acquisition, development and construction."
Highlights from Trump Jr.'s testimony so far
The attorney general's financial expert, Michiel McCarty, delivered testimony on the effect of the Trump Organization's valuations that the AG's office said were falsely inflated. During a cross-examination, Trump's counsel attempted to undermine McCarty's calculations.
That was followed by former Trump Organization Senior Vice President David Orowitz discussing the deal that led to the company’s management of a hotel near the White House.
Later in the day, Donald Trump Jr. took the stand and was asked by the AG's office about real estate-related financial terms. At one point, he told Judge Arthur Engoron that he had "no understanding" of certain accounting standards.
Trump Jr. said the company had "relied heavily" on his father's longtime accountant, Donald Bender, for its accounting needs.