Donald Trump committed fraud by exaggerating wealth, judge says

Driving the news: The ruling narrows the scope of the trial set to begin next week. It's a loss for Trump's lawyers, who have been trying to fight some of the allegations against him, the New York Times notes.

• The judge also ordered sanctions of $7,500 each for attorneys who represented the former president and the other defendants for making claims in filings that Engoron deemed frivolous.

Zoom in: Among the allegations in the lawsuit, Trump is accused of fabricating the value of his apartment buildings, hotels and other assets.

• "In defendants' world: rent regulated apartments are worth the same as unregulated apartments; restricted land is worth the same as unrestricted land; restrictions can evaporate into thin air; a disclaimer by one party casting responsibility on another party exonerates the other party's lies," Engoron wrote.
• "That is a is a fantasy world, not the real world."

Zoom out: James filed a civil lawsuit a year ago accusing Trump and members of his family of financial fraud, which could result in severe financial penalties for the Trump Organization.

• James has accused Trump and people working for him of inflating his net worth by between $812 million to $2.2 billion each year for more than a decade.

The other side: Trump and his team have repeatedly tried to have the case dismissed.

• Trump has denied wrongdoing and accused James of a "war of intimidation and harassment" against him.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.