New York, 27 September 2023 (tca/dpa/MIA) - Donald Trump was found liable for fraud Tuesday in the New York attorney general's sweeping case against his family real estate empire – a major setback for the former president.

In a 35-page order, State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron partially granted state attorney general Letitia James' request to rule on her top fraud claim in the $250 million lawsuit.

Engoron found Trump, his sons, Eric and Don Jr., and multiple Trump Organization entities liable on the chief claim, which alleges they lied about the value of company assets by hundreds of millions of dollars for a decade and repeatedly used the fake numbers in business transactions.

Engoron also granted an attorney general's request to impose sanctions on Trump, his co-defendants and their attorneys for repeatedly filing already-rejected legal arguments.

Trump's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Engoron denied their motion to toss the whole case.

The attorney general did not immediately comment. James' office began investigating the case more than two years ago.

Trump last month brought proceedings against the judge and James in the First Department Court of Appeals seeking to delay the case, which the panel is expected to rule on this week. The attorney general has described Trump's petition as a "brazen and meritless" attempt to evade accountability and undermine Engoron.

James' lawsuit seeks to bar the Trumps from serving as head of New York-licensed businesses or doing business deals and taking out loans for five years.

Trump, who's leading the Republican field in the 2024 presidential election, denies all allegations.

Photo: MIA archive