Donald Trump has arrived at court to see his former fixer Michael Cohen give evidence against his old boss as a key witness in a civil fraud trial that threatens to upend the former US president’s property empire and wealthy image
Mr Trump voluntarily came to court for the highly anticipated evidence, detouring from his usual campaign haunts to the Manhattan courtroom for a sixth day this month.
Mr Cohen scrapped their expected showdown last week, citing a health issue. He has said it will be his first time seeing Mr Trump in five years.
“This is not about Donald Trump vs Michael Cohen or Michael Cohen vs Donald Trump,” he said as he arrived at the courthouse to await his turn to give evidence. “This is about accountability, plain and simple.”
Mr Trump, heading into court, noted that Cohen served prison time after pleading guilty to tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations.
“He’s a proven liar,” Mr Trump told reporters, adding: “I think you’ll see that for yourself.”
Mr Trump has attended several days of the trial. Each time, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination has complained to TV cameras in the courthouse hallway about a case he has derided as a “sham”, a “scam” and “a continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time”.
New York attorney general Letitia James’s lawsuit alleges that Mr Trump and senior executives at his company, the Trump Organisation, conspired to pad the business mogul-turned-politician’s net worth by billions of dollars on financial statements provided to banks, insurers and others to make deals and secure loans.
The judge, Arthur Engoron, has already ruled that Mr Trump and his company committed fraud, but the trial involves remaining claims of conspiracy, insurance fraud and falsifying business records.
