"Political witch hunt": Donald Trump addresses court in USD 370 mn civil fraud trial

Washington, DC [US], January 12 : Former US President Donald Trump addressed the defence table during the hearing of the USD 370 million civil fraud trial, saying that the case was 'politically motivated'.
The Republican leader and the billionaire tycoon, who is bidding for the country's highest office in the Presidential elections later this year, added that he should receive damages over the case, CNN reported on Thursday.
Taking a swipe at Judge Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over the hearings in the case, Trump said, "The facts are (that) the financial statements are perfect, that there are no witnesses against us. The banks got all their money paid back. There were great loans."
"This was a political witch hunt," Trump added, claiming that "we should receive damages," the former President added.
"We have a situation where I'm an innocent man I've been persecuted by somebody running for office and I think you have to go outside the bounds," the Republican leader said, adding, "What's happened here sir is a fraud on me. They want to make sure that I don't win again and this is partially election interference."
Earlier, during the hearing, Trump's attorney Chris Kise, in his closing submission, urged the judge to reject the claims against the Republican leader, saying that the case goes 'beyond Trump.
"What you do, judge, impacts every corporation in New York," Kise argued.
He charged that the attorney general "wants limitless power to intervene in commercial real estate transactions."
CNN quoted Kise as telling the judge at the hearing, "You just cannot allow the attorney general to pursue a victimless crime and impose a corporate death penalty."
His subject of reference was the attorney general, who is seeking to bar Trump from doing business in the state.
"You buy into this, it's opening the floodgates for attacks on corporations in the state," Kise argued.
"They're trying to get you to buy into their theory to allow them to weaponize the law against Trumps business", Kise said, adding, "Don't do it."
When Kise finished his roughly two-hour presentation, Judge Engoron noted it was "quite the feat of endurance".
Defense attorneys Alina Habba and Cliff Robert are also expected to make their closing arguments in the matter.
The former president was charged by the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who accused Trump, his company, and several executives, including his two adult sons, of falsely inflating and deflating the value of his company's assets in order to receive lower taxes and better insurance coverage.
CNN reported earlier that New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking USD 370 million in damages and to bar Trump from doing business in the state.