Former President Donald Trump recently defended his real estate dealings and presidency in a deposition with New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is suing him for allegedly fraudulent financial claims. 

The transcript of the deposition was made public on Wednesday, August 30.

James alleges that Trump inflated his net worth by as much as 39% or over $2 billion in certain years. She argues in a legal filing that Trump and the Trump Organization defrauded lenders and others with false financial statements. Specifically, she claims Trump lied about the value of assets, such as his Mar-a-Lago estate. 

Her lawsuit seeks $250 million in penalties and aims to ban Trump from doing business in New York.

In his testimony, Trump challenged the validity of the case, highlighting his contributions to New York’s skyline and stating that James “should drop this case.” He asserted that the financial statements, which are central to the allegations, were essentially “worthless” and were created for his reference, not to deceive financial institutions. Trump admitted that some of the asset values on the statements were “guesstimates.”

Trump’s defense team seeks to dismiss the lawsuit, citing that many allegations are beyond the statute of limitations and that the supposedly defrauded entities haven’t complained.

Trump, currently leading the race for the Republican nomination for the next presidential election, has faced multiple indictments in the recent past, ranging from allegations of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results to hoarding classified documents.

The former president also claimed during the deposition that his attention shifted from his business to global matters once he became president, suggesting his interventions deterred potential confrontations.

Although Trump isn’t expected to testify if the case goes to trial, video recordings of his statements might be played in court. The lawsuit is set for a potential trial in October.