Former President Donald Trump has taken legal action to challenge a significant financial judgment against him in a New York civil fraud case. New York Judge Arthur Engoron had found Trump liable for over $350 million in damages, a decision that Trump’s legal team is now appealing. This ruling, stemming from a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, also includes post-judgment interest accruing at nearly $112,000 per day, pushing the total amount Trump owes to just over $354 million.
The lawsuit, which implicated not only Trump but also his family and the Trump Organization, accused them of engaging in “persistent and repeated fraud,” among other charges. Judge Engoron’s ruling criticized Trump for his conduct during the trial, particularly noting that Trump’s evasive and irrelevant responses significantly undermined his credibility.
Trump’s attorney, Christopher Kise, expressed strong disagreement with Engoron’s decision, accusing the court of siding with what he described as a political crusade against Trump. Kise argued that the trial’s evidence did not support the Attorney General’s claims of fraud and insisted that Trump’s net worth far exceeded the figures reported in his financial statements.
The Attorney General’s office had also sought to impose severe restrictions on Trump and the defendants, including a five-year ban on applying for loans in New York and a prohibition on conducting any real estate business in the state.
In September, Engoron ruled that Trump and his organization had committed fraud in the development of their real estate empire by misleading banks, insurers, and others through the inflation of asset values and net worth on financial documents. This ruling has now been appealed by Trump’s legal team, who argue that the judgment was unfairly biased and failed to consider the full scope of evidence presented during the trial.
As the appeal process unfolds, the legal battle continues to draw attention to the complex legal and financial disputes surrounding Trump and his business practices.