NEW YORK (NEWSnet/AP) — Donald Trump returns to court next week for his New York civil fraud trial.

It sets up a potential showdown with fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen, who is expected to testify.

Trump voluntarily attended the first three days of the trial last week, watching testimony and complaining to TV cameras about the case.

Trump is expected to attend the non-jury trial Oct. 17-19, according to a person who confirmed the plans, which were first reported by The Messenger. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity before an official announcement.

Cohen said via text message it has been five years since he and Trump have seen each other, adding: "I look forward to the reunion. I hope Donald does as well.”

Trump’s trip to the trial last week attracted hordes of news media and led to enhanced security measures at the courthouse, including extra screening checkpoints, metal barricades along the streets and Secret Service agents lining the courtroom walls.

Cohen is expected to be on the witness stand Oct. 17 or Oct. 18 at the trial in Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit, which alleges Trump, his company and top executives deceived banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing loans.

Cohen, a key witness in the state attorney general's case, worked for a decade as Trump’s personal lawyer before turning on him in 2018 amid a federal investigation that sent Cohen to federal prison.

Testifying in the case so far are longtime Trump executives Allen Weisselberg; Donald Bender, a former partner at the outside accounting firm that worked on Trump’s financial statements; and Nicholas Haigh, a former bank risk management official who approved Trump for hundreds of millions of dollars in loans based in part on the statements.

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