NYU professor hired by Trump defense for $900k calls NY AG’s complaint 'absurd'

The NYU Stern School of Business accounting professor who on Thursday called allegations against Donald Trump “absurd” was paid “nearly $900,000” in legal fees by the former president’s defense, the Guardian reports.

NYU economics professor Eli Bartov on Thursday testified that Deutsche Bank “knew what they were doing” when they decided to lend Trump "hundreds of millions of dollars in loans … based solely on allegedly inflated financial statements,” Bloomberg reports. Bartov told the court it’s “absurd to argue that Deutsche Bank or any bank or any lender would make lending decision based on a statement of financial condition."

Bartov was testifying for Trump’s defense in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud case against the former president. James “claims Trump exaggerated the value of his assets by billions of dollars a year to get better interest rates from banks,” according to Bloomberg.

Per the Guardian:

Eli Bartov, who’s making $1,350 an hour working on the case for Trump, testified Thursday in Manhattan that he did not believe Deutsche Bank AG or other Trump lenders would have made decisions … based solely on his allegedly inflated financial statements.

In one exchange, Bartov was asked about “the value of Trump’s Manhattan triplex apartment” which “nearly tripled from $80m to $180m in one year," the Guardian reports.

According to Bartov’s “reading of the documents,” there was “no evidence here of concealment,” according the Guardian's account of Bartov's testimony.

“It’s true this is an error,” Bartov said on the stand. “But it is no fraud.”

Bartov also argued that Trump’s auditors “had a duty to spot the errors,” according to the Guardian.

“My analysis shows the statements of financial condition for all the years were not materially misstated,” the professor said.

Bartov likewise told prosecutors in “[his] opinion,” the case has no merit.

Confronted by a lawyer from the state, who argued Bartov was espousing “pure speculation from someone hired to say whatever it is they want,” Bartov rebelled.

Per Bloomberg:

“You should be ashamed of yourself talking to me like that!” Bartov shouted. “I’m here to tell the truth. You ought to be ashamed of yourself!”

...

“I feel so bad I had to spend so much time on this engagement,” Bartov testified. “There was no justification for any of these allegations.”