The penalty was well over the $250M that the NYAG estimated in the fall of 2022, when she sued TFG, accusing him of inflating his net worth to obtain favorable treatment from banks & insurers.
Trump continued to #attack#James, #Engoron & the trial itself in posts to his social media platform this morning.
He again suggested that the trial is an attempt to interfere w/ his presidential campaign & complained about the lack of a jury in the trial.
(It is long established that either are issues)
Trump won’t be in court today. He had no legal obligation to attend, & left yesterday, noticeably angry.
The judge's #SummaryJudgment ruling last week found that Trump & his companies had committed repeated #fraud, & canceled #business certificates for LLCs "controlled or beneficially owned" by #Trump, his sons #DonJr. & #EricTrump, & two #TrumpOrganization execs. It originally gave the parties 10 days to name a potential receiver, but Engoron extended the deadline at the request of Trump's lawyers. Trump filed a notice Wednesday that he's #appealing the ruling.
Trump gripes trial is 'unfair' after judge's #GagOrder
(it was just in regards to the judge’s staff.)
After the trial wrapped up yesterday, Trump aired his #grievances in a post on his social media platform, saying the trial is “unfair” & again suggesting it was an attempt to interfere w/his presidential campaign.
As the #trial against Trump was being heard in court this morning, Trump's attys filed a notice of #appeal of the judge's #SummaryJudgment ruling that Trump had committed persistent #fraud.
The notice of appeal said they were appealing "from each & every part" of the order that went against them.
Last week, #Engoron denied Trump's motion to have the claims against him thrown out on statute of limitations, & Engoron issued partial #SummaryJudgment on some of the AG's allegations, including that #Trump & the #TrumpOrganization had made "persistent" false claims overstating the #value of their #assets in their #financial statements.
The trial is scheduled to last until the end of Dec but is expected to end sooner.
Trump arrived in the courtroom & strode past AG #LetitiaJames, seated in the first row, w/o making eye contact & immediately took a seat at the defense table.
While pool photographers took his picture at the defense table, looking solemn, in camera-ready way, Judge #Engoron looked amused.
The argument by #Kise was very close to a reprise of his statements last month, which #Engoron treated harshly when he granted the AG #SummaryJudgment & found #Trump#liable. Maybe Kise thinks that these arguments will be more successful w/the remaining causes of action — but just as likely, he’s already thinking about a future #appeal while straining to please his most important client.
#Engoron corrected #Habba again — she referred incorrectly to his #SummaryJudgment order as a “motion.” And he reminded her that the financial statements were meant to reflect the #estimated current value of the properties AT THE TIME they were assembled. Habba said she won’t reveal her arguments to her “adversaries” right now, but that she is confident in them.
Habba promised to “bore everyone at this room at length for three months.”
Justice #Engoron’s decision narrows the issues that will be heard, effectively deciding that the #trial was not necessary to find that #Trump was #liable & that the core of #James’s case was #valid. It represents a major blow to Trump, whose lawyers had sought to persuade the judge to throw out many of the claims against TFG.
#Trump still has an opportunity to #delay the #trial, or even gut the case against him. Trump has already sued Justice Engoron & an appeals court is expected to rule this week on his lawsuit. But if the #AppealsCourt rules against him, Trump will have to fight the remainder of the case at trial.