Trump civil fraud case: Judge fines Trump $354M, says frauds 'shock the conscience'

The trial resumes this morning for its first full day of action without the presence of former President Trump, who returned to Florida yesterday after attending the trial's first three days.

With 26 witnesses yet to testify for the state, today is likely to provide an indication of the trial's duration, which Judge Engoron scheduled to take three months.

Longtime Trump accountant Donald Bender of Mazars USA is back on the stand for more cross-examination from defense lawyer Jesus Suarez, who has been walking Bender though years of financial statements in an attempt to paint him as asleep of the wheel while handling Trump's accounting.

If Bender gets off the stand today, the state will next call longtime Trump Organization comptroller Jeffrey McConney, who is a defendant in the case itself.

Attorneys for the defense team declined to cross-examine Cameron Harris after the former Trump accountant completed his testimony. However they reserved the right to call him back to the stand later.

Instead, they spent the last hour of court Wednesday continuing their cross-examination of former Mazars USA accountant Donald Bender, who handled Trump's account prior to Harris.

After the defense highlighted Bender's inconsistent statements about Mazars' use of specialists to evaluate assets, Bender seemed to struggle to articulate how Mazars provided accounting expertise.

Defense attorney Jesus Suarez told Judge Engoron that he plans to continue his cross-examination of Bender through Thursday afternoon, though the defense promised to "streamline" their questions after the judge complained about the timing.

Court was then adjourned for the day.

Cameron Harris, an accountant from the firm Whitley Penn, has taken the stand as the trial's second witness following hours of testimony from former Trump accountant Donald Bender of Mazars USA, whose cross-examination will continue later.

Whitley Penn succeeded Mazars as Trump's accounting firm.

Harris testified that Trump's son Eric Trump "set the tone at the top" of the Trump Organization.

Like Bender, Harris testified that the Trumps had the ultimate responsibility for their financial statements.

"Who's responsible for the statement of financial condition?" asked state attorney Kevin Wallace as Eric Trump sat in the courtroom.

"The client's responsible for that," Harris replied.

The proceedings appear to have taken a more workmanlike tone since Trump left the courtroom to return to Florida. The defense has not logged a single objection after earlier objecting so often that it drew the judge's ire.

With former President Trump heading back to Florida after attending three days of the trial, New York Attorney General Letitia James told reporters that "the Donald Trump show is over."

Speaking to the media on her way back into court following a break, James denounced Trump's rhetoric about the case, as well as his social media post about the judge's clerk.

"Mr. Trump's comments were offensive, they were baseless, they were void of any facts," James said.

Trump, who called James "corrupt" during his various appearances outside the courtroom, also denounced the case she brought as "rigged" and said it was timed to upend his campaign for the presidency.

"This case was brought simply because it was a case where individuals were engaged in a pattern and practice of fraud," James said. "I will not be bullied."

"Mr. Trump is no longer here -- the Donald Trump show is over," said James. "This was nothing more than a political stunt, a fundraising stop."