Trump's election campaign used the start of the trial for fundraising, saying he was defending his family and reputation from New York Democrats it called "corrupt tyrants." Christopher Kise, a lawyer for Trump, countered in his opening statement that Trump's financials were entirely legal. The trial will review six additional claims including falsifying business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy, and address how much in penalties the defendants should pay. In his testimony, Bender said he relied on information provided by Trump and his companies when compiling Trump's personal financial statements. More than 150 people including Cohen could testify, though much of the trial may be a battle of experts opining on financial documents.
