'A lie is still a lie': NY judge says expert 'lost all credibility' — tosses Trump’s civil fraud case motion

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron on Monday dismissed, “for at least the fifth time,” former President Donald Trump’s motion “for a directed verdict” in his New York civil fraud trial case, The Messenger reports.

“A lie is still a lie,” Engoron noted In his 3-page ruling, writing:

Defendants also trot out two of their standard canards, that valuations are subjective and that the law only penalizes “material” deviations. These both fall into the category of “Let no one be fooled." Valuations, as elucidated ad nauseam in this trial, can be based on different criteria analyzed in different ways. But a lie is still a lie.

Engoron continued:

Valuing occupied residences as if vacant, valuing restricted land as if unrestricted, valuing an apartment as if it were triple its actual size, valuing property many times the amount of concealed appraisals, valuing planned buildings as if completed and ready to rent, valuing golf courses with brand premium while claiming not to, and valuing restricted funds as cash, are not subjective differences of opinion, they are misstatements at best and fraud at worst.

The ruling also referenced Trump’s expert witnesses, including Eli BartovEli Bartov, a tenured NYU Stern School of Business professor who was paid “nearly $900,000” in legal fees to testify for the former president.

Earlier this month, Bartov testified on behalf of Trump in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud case against the former president, telling the court it’s “absurd to argue that ... any bank or any lender would make lending decision based on a statement of financial condition."

"By doggedly attempting to justify every misstatement, Professor Bartov lost all credibility," Engoron wrote.

The judge noted Bartov’s “overarching point was that the subject’s statements of financial condition were accurate in every respect.”

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But, for Engoron, that just proves “for a million or so dollars, some experts will say whatever you want them to say."

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