Former President Donald Trump has arrived at court to attend the opening of his New York civil trial
Trump, his adult sons and the Trump Organization are accused of perpetrating years of fraud
The NY attorney general is seeking a fine of $250m (£204m) and a ban on him doing business in his home state.
Last week, a New York judge ruled Trump overvalued properties by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Trump has called the lawsuit a politically motivated “witch hunt”
The Trump Organization could be forced to relinquish control of its properties or sell some of its landmarks.
Mr Trump, who spoke to reporters for several minutes outside the room before entering, repeating previous claims that the case is against him is a sham.
“It’s a scam. It’s a sham. Just so you know, my financial statements are phenomenal.”
It is not certain if will there be live TV cameras inside the court, as there is no nod to that effect by the judge.
But last week a group of American news organisations petitioned Judge Arthur Engoron to allow live coverage of opening and closing arguments and parts of the trial other than witness testimony.
Live TV coverage isn’t generally allowed in New York state courts, but judges have the discretion to let cameras in, in some cases.
The group of news organisations has argued in a letter to the judge that if there’s ever a case where arguments should be broadcast live, it’s this one: “The need for the broadest possible public access cannot be overstated. Quite literally, the world is watching these proceedings.”
BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon
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