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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Josh Salisbury

Donald Trump Jr asks courtroom sketch artist to 'make me look sexy' in $250m civil fraud trial

Donald Trump Jr asked a court artist to “make me look sexy” as the family faced a $250m (£205m) civil fraud trial on Thursday.

During a break in his testimony on Thursday, the former US President’s oldest son told the courtroom sketch artist: “Make me look sexy."

Artist Jane Rosenberg said he asked her to produce a flattering portrait - pointing to a sketch of Sam Bankman-Fried, who was found guilty of cryptocurrency fraud.

The portrait which has been circulating the internet made Bankman-Fried look like a “superstar”, he said.

Donald Trump Jr and younger brother Eric denied knowledge of financial statements that a judge has already ruled fraudulent.

They told a New York court they relied on accountants and others to make sure their financial records were correct.

New York state lawyers claim the Trump Organisation fraudulently puffed up the ex-president's wealth and the worth of the family business in order to obtain favourable loans and deals.

Eric Trump, son of former US President Donald Trump, leaves court during a break (AFP via Getty Images)

It could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and could see Trump stripped of control of many New York trophy properties that built his reputation before he entered politics.

Testifying at the trial, Eric Trump, one of the two sons entrusted to manage the Trump property empire, said: “I had no involvement and never worked on my father's statement of financial condition.”

The former US president, his adult sons and other defendants deny wrongdoing in the case, brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“So sad to see my sons being PERSECUTED in a political Witch Hunt," the Republican 2024 presidential front-runner wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.

Donald Trump is slated to testify on Monday, followed by his daughter Ivanka on Wednesday. An appeals court late Thursday denied her request to delay her testimony.

Eric Trump will return to the witness stand on Friday.

Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the case, suggested he might expand a gag order, after defence lawyers again criticised his law clerk's role in the case.

Early in the trial, Judge Engoron barred participants in the case from smearing his staff after Donald Trump criticised the clerk on social media.

The former president has been fined twice, a total of $15,000, for violations.

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