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

Judge Arthur Engoron will allow the New York attorney general to call two witnesses during the state's rebuttal case once the defense rests its case -- over the objection of Trump attorney Chris Kise.

"The government has held these witnesses back," Kise said, arguing against the decision.

While state attorney Kevin Wallace maintained that their two rebuttal witnesses -- Cornell professor Eric Lewis and former Trump Organization executive Kevin Sneddon -- would only address arguments already made in court, Kise argued that the witnesses would be used to backfill evidence that the defense team would not be able to address fully.

"It's not rebuttal. It's filling a hole," Kise said, accusing the state of "gamesmanship" by withholding evidence.

Unconvinced by Kise's argument, Engoron ruled that the witnesses would still be permitted to testify.

"I see no reason not to allow these two purported experts to testify," Engoron said.

In response, Trump's defense attorneys suggested they might attempt to present an additional witness after the state's rebuttal case.

After presenting four weeks of testimony, Donald Trump's lawyers are scheduled to rest their case in the former president's civil fraud trial today.

With Trump no longer testifying as a defense witness, New York University accounting professor Eli Bartov will be Trump's final witness.

Resuming his cross-examination this morning, Bartov is likely to face questions about inconsistencies and potential bias in his analysis of Trump's financial statements. Paid an hourly rate of $1,350 for 650 hours of work, Bartov said last week that he received payments from both the Trump Organization and Trump's Save America PAC.

Bartov strongly defended Trump's statements of financial condition, the documents at the center of the New York attorney general's case, during his testimony last week, saying that he could find "no evidence whatsoever for any accounting fraud." Bartov also argued the documents were insignificant to the banks that loaned Trump money, which he said used their own analysis to make their loan decisions.

"It is impossible to argue -- it is really absurd to argue -- that Deutsche Bank or any bank or any lender would make lending decisions based on the statements of financial condition," Bartov said. "This should close the book on this case."

Donald Trump's civil fraud trial will resume on Tuesday, following the announcement from the former president that he was canceling his plans to testify Monday in his own defense.

"Donald Trump already testified in our financial fraud case against him," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement Sunday afternoon following Trump's announcement. "Whether or not Trump testifies again tomorrow, we have already proven that he committed years of financial fraud and unjustly enriched himself and his family. No matter how much he tries to distract from reality, the facts don't lie."

The trial will continue Tuesday with the cross-examination of the defense's accounting expert Eli Bartov. Once Bartov concludes his testimony, Trump's defense case is expected to rest.

Lawyers for the New York attorney general plan to present a brief rebuttal case, which might conclude as early as Tuesday.

Closing arguments in the case are scheduled for Jan. 11, and a written decision in the case may come in late January.

Donald Trump has canceled his plans to testify in his own defense in his civil fraud trial, the former president said in a statement Sunday.

"I will not be testifying on Monday. MAGA!" Trump wrote on social media.

Trump cited the testimony of his expert witnesses, the use of what he called his "ironclad disclaimer clause," and alleged bias by the judge overseeing the case as reasons he no longer planned to testify.

"I HAVE ALREADY TESTIFIED TO EVERYTHING & HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY OTHER THAN THAT THIS IS A COMPLETE & TOTAL ELECTION INTERFERENCE," he wrote.

The former president was due to return to the courtroom Monday after testifying last month in the state's case.