A New York judge has found Donald Trump liable for fraud and has canceled his Trump Organization’s business certification after determining that the former president falsely inflated his wealth and assets as he built his business empire.
A ruling from Judge Arthur F Engoron on 26 September partially granted New York Attorney General Letitia James’s motion for a summary judgment that found Mr Trump, his two adult sons and chief business associates provided fraudulent financial statements to lenders and insurers for about a decade to secure deals and financing.
The decision follows a $250m civil suit from Ms James, whose investigation targeted long-running fraud allegations surrounding Mr Trump’s businesses.
Judge Engoron’s ruling deals a major blow to the former president as he seeks the Republican nomination for president while battling several criminal indictments and trials in the coming weeks and months.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump will skip the second Republican primary debate on Wednesday and will instead travel to Michigan to speak to striking autoworkers, one day after President Joe Biden joined a picket line to stand with workers amid the high-profile strike.
