Trump's Trial: The Cost of Defense.

In the New York civil fraud trial, Donald Trump was present as the defense's final expert witness, Eli Bartov, declared the absence of any accounting fraud. Bartov later disclosed that he earned approximately $877,500 for his expert testimony, billing $1,350 per hour for around 650 hours of work. The source of his payment included funds from the Trump Organization and Trump's Save America PAC.

During the proceedings, Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, expressed frustration with objections from the attorney general's team, questioning the value of their experts' input. Another defense expert, Frederick Chin, who testified on real estate valuation, billed $850 per hour for 1,000 hours, totaling $850,000. The state's sole expert witness, Michael McCarty, acknowledged a rate of $950 per hour, earning around $350,000 for his testimony.

These billing details shed light on the substantial costs of one of Trump's many legal battles, a series of criminal and civil challenges that the Save America PAC has spent $40 million on in the first half of the year.

Trump remained at the courthouse for the trial, praising Bartov's testimony and credentials. Bartov's glowing assessments of Trump's financial statements and transparency were met with skepticism from the state's attorneys, leading to heated exchanges in the courtroom. Bartov strongly refuted the grounds of the lawsuit, asserting that Trump's financial statements included disclaimers, emphasizing lenders' responsibility for due diligence.

Judge Engoron, who had earlier ruled that Trump and others were liable for fraud, reiterated that false statements in business are unacceptable. The case alleges that Trump and his sons inflated asset values to secure favorable loans and insurance deals, charges they deny. Trump, having already testified, decided not to testify again. The cross-examination of Bartov is set to continue as the trial concludes.