Donald Trump spent Wednesday playing golf in Florida before his scheduled trip to New York to be deposed in a $250 million business fraud lawsuit over allegations the Trump Organization falsified financial statements to obtain loans.
The former president went through a range of emotions while playing a round at his namesake golf club in West Palm Beach, appearing to try and chip his golf ball at one point, then raising his hands above his head and looking frustrated after he took a shot.
Golf was just part of Trump’s busy schedule on Wednesday – his attorneys also filed a $500 million lawsuit against Cohen in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Former President Donald Trump plays golf in Florida during the day before he is expected to leave for New York later in the day on April 12
Trump is suing his one-time fixer and lawyer in excess of $500M for breaching attorney-client relationship with the former president ‘by both revealing Plaintiff’s confidences and spreading falsehoods about Plaintiff, likely to be embarrassing or detrimental.’ And that Cohen was ‘spreading falsehoods about Plaintiff with malicious intent and to wholly self-serving ends.’
Lanny Davis, Cohen’s attorney, said in a statement, ‘ Mr. Trump is once again using and abusing the judicial system as a form of harassment and intimidation against Michael Cohen.’
‘It appears he is terrified by his looming legal perils and is attempting to send a message to other potential witnesses who are cooperating with prosecutors against him. Mr. Cohen will not be deterred and is confident that the suit will fail based on the facts and the law,’ he said.
Davis added: ‘Is there anyone in America, aside from a shrinking minority base of believers, who takes Mr. Trump seriously when he files these frivolous lawsuits?’
Cohen testified in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 election and the Stormy Daniels case. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to arranging the hush-money payments to the porn star but said Trump directed them.
The former president got a round in before he’s expected to head to New York
Trump is due to be deposed on Thursday in a case involving his business empire
Trump’s lawsuit also says Cohen defamed the former president through the ‘publication of two books, a podcast series, and innumerable mainstream media appearances.’
Cohen worked for Trump from 2006 to 2018 in his Trump Organization and as his private attorney. In 2018, he was imprisoned for three years after pleading guilty to tax evasion and campaign finance violations.
Although Trump was in Manhattan last week to be arrested and arraigned on criminal charges about hush money payments, the former president returns to be deposed by New York Attorney General Letitia James on business fraud charges against the Trump Organization.
James alleges that various Trump family members misled banks and others by providing financial statements that intentionally misstated the value of his assets, including his golf clubs and the hotels bearing his name.
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The AG’s office is seeking $250 million and a ban on Trump and three of his adult children (Ivanka, Don, Jr. and Eric) from doing business in the Empire State ever again.
Trump sued his ex-attorney Michael Cohen (left) for $500 million; Trump will be deposed in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ (right) lawsuit against his business empire
Trump takes a shot at his golf course on Wednesday, April 12
The former president enjoys golf and often plays at his Trump properties
The former president and his attorneys tried to get the case dismissed, arguing that he, as a Republican, was being ‘singled out and subject to selective treatment’ by James.
The judge in the case, Arthur Engoron, denied the former president’s move and ordered it to trial. Engoron also rejected a separate attempt by Ivanka Trump, named in the lawsuit, to dismiss the accusations against her.
Trump previously sat for a deposition at James’ office last August, just weeks before she filed the lawsuit. At that time, he declined to answer questions and invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination more than 400 times.
Engoron has scheduled an Oct. 2 trial date just before the Republican presidential primaries begin.
He agreed to allow lawyers more time to review evidence, interview witnesses and file motions. Trump’s deposition is part of that process.
Donald Trump on his golf course
Donald Trump’s motorcade makes its way through rainy Palm Beach
Donald Trump with his caddie
Donald Trump drives his own golf cart but is followed by Secret Service
In addition to James’ case and the hush money case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Trump faces a third legal case in New York: a civil lawsuit resulting from columnist Jean Carroll’s claims that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. Trump has denied the charge.
The trial is scheduled to start April 25 in Manhattan federal court.
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