Donald Trump’s Million-Dollar Expert ‘Lost All Credibility,’ Judge Said

 

Former US President Donald Trump’s expert witness, who was paid almost $1 million to testify in his New York civil fraud trial, “lost all credibility,” the judge supervising the case said on Monday.

On December 7, Eli Bartov, an accounting professor at New York University, testified before the court. Eli Bartov stated that he found no proof of fraud in the financial statements and business records of Donald Trump’s family real estate company.

The judge presiding over Trump’s high-stakes civil business fraud trial questioned the witness’ trustworthiness. The judge stated that his roughly $900,000 pay impacted his evidence.

Eli Bartov stated that he worked on the case for 650 hours at a rate of $1,350 per hour. He said that the Trump Organization and Save America, a leadership political action committee formed and controlled by Trump, reimbursed his invoices.

“All that his testimony proves is that for a million or so dollars, some experts will say whatever you want them to say,” Justice Arthur Engoron stated. Eli Bartov “doggedly” justified the former U.S. president’s financial records, according to Justice Arthur Engoron.

In a blistering denial of repeated pleas by Donald Trump for the matter to be ruled in his favor, Justice Arthur Engoron said, “By doggedly attempting to justify every misstatement, Professor Bartov lost all credibility.”

However, Eli Bartov stated that the judge’s statements “shocked” him. At the New York civil fraud trial, the expert denied that his payment influenced his evaluation. Eli Bartov stated in an email that Donald Trump’s words were “accurate in every respect.”