What Donald Trump’s sons said on the stand

Two of Donald Trump’s sons took the stand in his company’s civil fraud trial on Thursday, working to untangle themselves from the legal mess.

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump both testified in New York yesterday, the New York Times reported. While differing noticeably in demeanor, they were aligned in downplaying their roles in the alleged inflation of asset values to secure favorable loans for the Trump Organization.

Donald Jr. spent two hours on the stand, maintaining his calm and mostly being evasive. He blamed outside accountants for any issues in the company’s financial statements, despite having signed letters attesting to their accuracy.

During his testimony, Donald Jr. acknowledged that he expected Deutsche Bank, the firm’s largest lender, to rely on the financial statements’ accuracy. But, avoiding a direct answer to a question about fraud, he also said bankers do their own due diligence.

His mood may have been best exemplified by a moment when he told the courtroom sketch artist to make him “look sexy.”

His brother was more specific in his testimony as well as more combative. Eric Trump denied involvement in the company’s financial statements, also laying the blame on outside accountants, specifically Mazars USA. The New York attorney general’s office, which brought the case, alleged Eric may have influenced some of the values included, but Eric dismissed the notion.

“I’m an operator. I’m a construction guy,” he said. “I build projects. I don’t focus on appraisals.”

Neither of the brothers invoked their Fifth Amendment right not to testify. Remaining silent can be held against defendants in a civil case, unlike in a criminal trial.

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Donald Trump is expected to take the stand at the start of next week and daughter Ivanka is scheduled to testify shortly after.

Judge Arthur Engoron has ruled that the Trumps fraudulently manipulated financial statements sent to banks and insurers. If they are found liable in the civil trial, they face up to $250 million in fines and a ban on doing business in the state, which could cost them control of the Trump Organization and its properties.

— Holden Walter-Warner