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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 3 OcTOber 2023

Trump seethes through the start of trial in New York lawsuit accusing

him of lying about his wealth

year. He didn’t show, either, mated assets to get to a pre- Habba said in an opening
for a civil trial earlier this year determined number “that statement. She accused the
in which a jury found him li- Mr. Trump wanted.” attorney general’s office of
able for sexually assaulting Wallace said the alleged “setting a very dangerous
the writer E. Jean Carroll in scheme got the company precedent for all business
a department store dressing better loan rates, saving it owners in the state of New
room. $100 million in interest. York.”
This time, “I wanted to watch “They hid their weakness- Defense experts will testify
this witch hunt myself,” he es and convinced these that valuing properties is
said outside court. banks to take on hundreds subjective, Trump attorneys
In a recent court filing, of millions of dollars in risk,” said. He and his lawyers have
James’ office alleged Trump he said, adding, “While the also argued that no one was
exaggerated his wealth by defendants can exagger- harmed by anything in the
as much as $3.6 billion. ate to Forbes magazine or financial statements, which
He claimed his three-story on television, they cannot do were given to banks to se-
Former President Donald Trump, center, speaks to the media Trump Tower penthouse, it while conducting business cure loans and to financial
upon arriving at New York Supreme Court, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, replete with gold-plated fix- in the state of New York.” magazines to justify his place
in New York. tures, was nearly three times Defense lawyers said the among the world’s billion-
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig) its actual size and worth $327 financial statements were aires.
Continued from Front The former president, his two million, far more than any legitimate representations Banks that made loans to
eldest sons, Trump Organi- New York City apartment of prime properties that can him were fully repaid. Busi-
“No matter how powerful zation executives and fixer- ever has fetched, James command top dollar. ness partners made money.
you are, and no matter how turned-foe Michael Cohen said. He valued Mar-a-Lago “That is not fraud. That is And Trump’s own company
much money you think you are all listed among dozens as high as $739 million — real estate,” attorney Alina flourished.q
have, no one is above the of potential witnesses. more than 10 times a more
law,” she said on her way Trump isn’t expected to tes- reasonable estimate of its
into the courthouse. tify for several weeks. His trip worth, James maintained. Hundreds join search for 9-year-old
Trump says that James and to court Monday marked a “Every estimate was de- girl who vanished during camping
the judge are undervaluing remarkable departure from termined by Mr. Trump,”
such assets as his Mar-a-Lago his past practice. Wallace said in his opening trip in upstate New York park
resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump didn’t go to court as statement. He pointed to
He and his lawyers also main- either a witness or a specta- pretrial testimony by Trump By Michael Hill teer firefighters, and some
tain that disclaimers on his tor when his company and Organization figures and Associated Press private search and rescue
financial statements made one of its top executives was ex-insiders including Cohen, MOREAU, N.Y. (AP) — Hun- groups, officials said. Au-
clear convicted of tax fraud last who said the company esti- dreds of law enforcement thorities also requested
officers, forest rangers and help from the FBI.
others searched an ex- The search expanded over
panding swath of upstate 46 linear miles (74 linear ki-
New York on Monday for lometers) by Monday, with
a 9-year-old girl who van- much of the area heavily
ished during a camping wooded.
trip over the weekend. Troopers set up several
Charlotte Sena disap- checkpoints on the wind-
peared while riding her bi- ing, rural roads around the
cycle Saturday evening in park. They stopped drivers
Moreau Lake State Park, and asked if they knew the
about 35 miles (60 kilome- family, had seen the girl’s
ters) north of Albany, ac- photo or had any other in-
cording to the state police. formation that could help
Police fear she may have the search. They also had
been abducted. some drivers open their
The girl's family pleaded trunks.q
with the public for help in
finding Charlotte, including
providing any tips to the
state police.
“We just want her re-
turned safely like any par-
ent would," the family said
in a statement. “No tip is
too small, please call if you
know anything at all.”
About 400 people took
part in the search Monday,
up from more than 100 the This photo provided by her
family on Monday, Oct. 2,
day before, state police 2023, shows Charlotte Sena,
said. The searchers includ- 9, who vanished during a
ed state and local police, camping trip in upstate New
forest rangers, local volun- York.
(Family photo via AP)