Size matters: Trump exaggerated skyscraper height, vineyard area in financial statements, which might be illegal
- Expert says it would be illegal for Trump to knowingly provide a financial institution with materially false information, such as incorrect building heights
Big isn’t big enough for US President Donald Trump, who is under scrutiny for exaggerating the size of some of his property and other assets.
Trump drew up financial statements years ago that added 10 extra floors to his namesake New York skyscraper and an extra 800 acres (323 hectares) to his Virginia winery – inconsistencies that could be illegal if he used the documents to enrich himself, according to legal experts.
The 20-page statements – which were obtained by the New York Daily News on Thursday – are from 2011 and 2012 and list Trump’s various assets, alleged net worth and liabilities.
However, the statements also contain a handful of falsehoods that border on the bizarre.
Both documents claim Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue has 68 floors. But the gold-plated skyscraper – which the statements describe as a “symbol of quality and success” – actually has 58.
