Oct. 25 (UPI) — Former President Donald Trump abruptly left a New York City courtroom Wednesday after his former attorney walked back his 2019 congressional testimony that Trump never directed him to change financial documents that inflated Trump’s net worth.
Michael Cohen later clarified his response, saying Trump didn’t directly ask him to inflate the numbers, but it was inferred.
“Donald Trump speaks like a mob boss. He tells you what he wants without specifically telling you,” Cohen said. “We understood what he wanted.”
Trump’s attorneys called for Judge Arthur Engoron to immediately dismiss the civil case based on Cohen’s new statements. When the judge refused, Trump swiftly left the courtroom with his Secret Service detail scrambling to catch up.
Outside the courtroom, Trump told the press, “The witness just admitted that we won this trial. And the judge should end this trial immediately.”
Trump’s quick departure also came after the presiding judge fined the former president $10,000 for his second violation of a gag order that bars him from talking about court staff.
The judge also ordered Trump to the witness stand.
Judge Arthur Engoron asked Trump, “Did you say, ‘This judge is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside of him?'”
Trump said, “Yes,” but said he was referring to his former attorney, Michael Cohen, who was seated in the witness chair next to the judge
Earlier, Engoron said Trump’s comments suggested he was speaking about a law clerk. Trump’s attorney Chris Kise said Trump was referring to Cohen.
“It’s easy for the public or anyone to know who that is,” Engoron said, suggesting Trump was commenting about his law clerk. “I’m very protective of my staff, and I believe I should be. I don’t want anybody killed.”
Engoron imposed the gag order in early October barring Trump from comments about court staff. On Oct. 20, Trump was fined $5,000 for violating the order.
The comments come during the second day of a $250 million lawsuit that alleges Trump and his co-defendants repeatedly committed fraud by inflating assets on financial statements to get better terms on commercial real estate loans and insurance policies.
