Former President Donald Trump has been granted a temporary reprieve in his civil fraud lawsuit in New York, as a court issued a delay in the cancellation of his business licenses within the state. This development comes after Trump filed an appeal earlier to halt the ongoing trial.
The trial began this week, and although it lacks a jury, Trump has attended in person. It followed a surprising ruling by Judge Arthur Engoron in September, in which he found repeated fraud committed by the Trump Organization, leading to the order for the cancellation of business licenses belonging to Trump and his two adult sons, Don Jr. and Eric.
An appeals court in New York ruled on Friday, with Judge Peter Moulton declining to suspend the trial but granting a temporary stay on the “order directing the cancellation of business certificates.”
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This decision represents a short-term victory for Trump, who faced the potential partial dismantling of his real estate empire following Judge Engoron’s September ruling.
During the court proceedings on Friday, lawyers for Trump and the attorneys representing New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is pursuing a $250 million judgment against Trump for alleged fraudulent business filings, presented their arguments. Trump’s lawyer, Christopher Kise, argued that the dissolution would result in chaos, while James’ representative, Judy Vale, countered that there was no basis for an interim stay in a trial that had already been underway for a week.
Trump spent nearly three days in the courtroom and hallways this week, engaging with the press. New York Attorney General James characterized his court appearance as a political stunt and fundraising stop, while Trump labeled her as “corrupt” and “racist.”
The trial is set to resume next week, and James expressed confidence that “justice will prevail” in the case. Trump faces multiple other significant legal challenges in various jurisdictions, including criminal charges, all of which he has denied and pleaded not guilty to.
