From Fortune:

Former President Donald Trump aims to deliver his own closing argument Thursday in his New York civil business fraud trial in addition to his legal team’s summations, according to two people familiar with the highly unusual plan. Trump is a defendant in the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. She claims his net worth was inflated by billions of dollars on financial statements that helped him secure business loans and insurance.

An attorney for Trump informed Judge Arthur Engoron earlier this week that the former president wished to speak during the closing arguments, and the judge approved the plan, according to one of the two people who spoke to The Associated Press. Both persons who confirmed the plan did so on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to disclose the information to reporters. The Trump campaign and a spokesperson for James declined to comment.

The former president and current Republican front-runner denies any wrongdoing, and he has condemned the case during a peppery day of testimony, on social media and in verbal comments in the courthouse hallway. In recent days on his Truth Social platform, he called the case a “hoax,” dismissed the months-long proceedings as as a “pathetic excuse for a trial” and criticized the judge and attorney general, both Democrats.

In closing arguments, both sides give their views of what the evidence has shown and why they should win. It’s each camp’s last chance to try to persuade the ultimate decision-maker — in this case, Judge Engoron.

James’ office says Trump, his business and some top executives defrauded banks and insurers by hugely goosing the values of assets such as his triplex at Trump Tower in New York and his Mar-a-Lago club and residence in Florida. Trump lawyers Christopher Kise and Michael T. Madaio wrote Friday in court papers. “Lenders made their own informed decisions.”

Engoron will weigh claims of conspiracy, insurance fraud and falsifying business records. He has said he hopes to have a verdict by the end of this month. He ruled that Trump and other defendants engaged in fraud for years. An appeals court has frozen that order.

Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak and Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.



Read more: Donald Trump plans to make closing arguments in New York fraud trial, sources say