Former President Donald Trump is planning to make an appearance at his New York civil fraud trial next week and has used the opportunity to criticize the case while appealing for donations to his 2024 presidential campaign, with a key deadline looming.
Sources familiar with Trump's plans confirmed to NBC News that he will journey to New York on Sunday night, with intentions to be present at Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday and Tuesday for the initial two days of the bench trial regarding a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
In an email sent out through his joint fundraising committee on Friday, the ex-Republican president expressed his grievances about the trial, stating, "After four sham arrests, indictments, and even a mugshot failed to break me, a Democrat judge is now trying to destroy my Family Business."
The email continued, "Democrats are seeking to bring down the world-famous 'Trump Tower' and impose what some are calling 'the corporate death penalty' upon me."
This fundraising appeal coincides with Trump's efforts to demonstrate strength amid mounting legal challenges. He seeks to raise millions of dollars before the Federal Election Commission's third-quarter deadline, which falls on Saturday. In the previous quarter, Trump's campaign raised $35 million.
Trump's latest fundraising plea follows a recent ruling by Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron, who found Trump, two of his sons, and the Trump Organization liable for fraud for inflating the values of several real estate properties, including his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. In the same order, Engoron revoked the New York state business licenses of multiple Trump corporate entities and indicated his intent to appoint a receiver to oversee their dissolution. Trump plans to appeal the decision.
The trial set to commence on Monday will address the remaining six claims within Attorney General James' lawsuit. In this case, James is pursuing $250 million in damages and an injunction to prevent Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump from conducting business operations within the state.
Donald Trump currently faces criminal charges in both New York and Georgia state courts, as well as in federal courts in Washington, D.C., and Florida. He has entered a plea of not guilty in these cases. In two of these cases, in Georgia and Washington, Trump is accused of felonies related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.