Donald Trump's attorneys on Wednesday asked the judge in the former president's New York fraud trial a revealing question: "What's the point?"
On Tuesday, Judge Arthur Engoron issued a major ruling concluding that Trump's businesses routinely engaged in fraudulent activity by misstating values on forms for bank loans. The day after, Trump's attorneys were reportedly asking the court exactly what that ruling means and if it's a death sentence for Trump's organization.
For his part, Trump has already called the decision a "KILL TRUMP" decision.
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"But the judge himself isn’t so sure, telling Trump’s lawyers at a hearing Wednesday that he isn’t ready to discuss what the ruling — which strips Trump’s entities of their New York-issued business licenses — will mean for his company and the marquee properties bearing his name," the Associated Press reported.
"Judge Arthur Engoron, who will preside over a non-jury trial next week on issues remaining in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil lawsuit against Trump, acknowledged that the 'contours of the case (have) changed significantly,' but declined to elaborate on the real-world impacts of his fraud finding."
Trump's attorney, Christopher Kise, reportedly pressed the judge to clarify whether Trump must shutter some corporate entities or if he’d be forced to relinquish just about everything. Kise didn't get an answer to that, but he did float the possibility of canceling the rest of the trial, according to AP.
"Engoron’s ruling, in a phase of the case known as summary judgment, resolved the key claim in James’ lawsuit, but several others remain. He is to decide on those claims and James’ request for $250 million in penalties at a trial starting Oct. 2, though Trump’s lawyers have asked an appeals court for a delay. A ruling is expected Thursday," it reported.
"Kise raised the possibility of canceling the trial altogether since Engoron had already ruled on the biggest issue, asking: 'What’s the point?'"
The judge didn't decide to cancel the trial.