Donald Trump on Thursday called the civil fraud case against him a political witch hunt and insisted he did nothing wrong during a break outside the New York courtroom as his legal team made its closing argument.
But inside the courtroom, the judge overseeing the trial seemed skeptical of his defense.
And the proceedings were marked by drama both inside and out: A court spokesperson confirmed that Justice Arthur Engoron received was media reports said was a bomb threat at his home.
Trump made a surprise statement from the defense table after his lawyers wrapped up their closing argument in the case saying "Your honor, look, I did nothing wrong. They should pay me."
The judge told Trump's lawyers to control their client.
The suit could cost the former U.S. present and current Republican front-runner dearly: Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking nearly $370 million in penalties for overstating his net worth to banks.
She also wants to ban him from New York's real-estate industry.
The judge has already ruled that Trump and his company engaged in fraud and is considering what penalties to impose.
A lawyer for Trump argued the case is motivated by politics and said Trump should not be penalized for allegedly manipulating the value of his properties because lenders and insurers that did business with him still turned a profit.
The judge said there doesn't have to be any evidence of harm.
He will issue a verdict at a later date without a jury.
