Trump’s defense at civil fraud trial zooms in on Mar-a-Lago, with broker calling it ‘breathtaking’

By JENNIFER PELTZ
Associated Press

Former President Donald Trump’s civil business fraud trial has turned to one of the topics that has vexed him most — the disputed value of his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Palm Beach luxury real estate broker Lawrence Moens took the stand for Trump’s defense Tuesday. Moens played a glimmering video of the historic waterfront estate and testified that he’d value it at over $1 billion as of 2021. State Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit claims that Trump and his company deceived lenders and others by giving them financial statements that greatly overstated the values of some of his prime assets, including by listing Mar-a-Lago at up to $612 million. Trump denies any wrongdoing.