A court battle that pits billionaires against millionaires and includes Donald Trump's wife continued Wednesday in federal court in downtown Indianapolis.
Indianapolis businessman Steven Hilbert testified on the stand, defending the New Sunshine LLC contract to market a skin care line endorsed by Melania Trump.
Retail giant and race team owner John Menard is suing, saying the contract isn't valid because Hilbert had already been removed as CEO of New Sunshine when he made the deal.
MH Private Equity, financed by Menard and run by Hilbert, owned New Sunshine. Menard claims the contract unduly profited the Hilberts and the Trumps.
"That is absolutely ridiculous," said Steven Hilbert. "John Menard knows this - it is absolutely a vendetta that John has done to other people in the past; he typically does it to people that don't have the ability to fight back. This time he picked the wrong people."
Attorney Linda Pence says Melania Trump will testify Thursday.
Hilbert maintains the lawsuit is personal, saying it was filed after Menard's alleged advances to Hilbert's wife Tomisue were rejected.
"This is a case where you got a multi-billionaire that has a horrible history as it relates to women and breaking contracts and ignoring the law and, you know, he doesn't like to hear no and my wife told him no. So that is exactly where we are," said Hilbert.
"I think this case is tragic. It's misguided for so many different reasons. They broke a contract that was a valuable contract that would have meant a great deal to the future of New Sunshine, and Mr. Menard came in and just tragically started tearing a business apart that was a good, vibrant business," said Pence.
