Following our victories in other legal cases, Donald Trump On Monday, Trump pressed a New York appeals court to overturn a judgment in a nearly $500 million New York civil fraud case that threatens to drain his personal cash reserves as he continues his campaign to reclaim the White House.
In papers filed with the state’s intermediate-level appeals court, the former president’s lawyers said Manhattan District Judge Arthur Engoron’s Feb. 16 ruling that Trump Lied to Banks, Insurance Companies, and Others About His Wealth It was “wrong” and “outrageous.”
Trump’s appeal arguments echo many of the complaints he made during his trial in front of television cameras outside the courtroom.
His lawyers said the lawsuit, filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, should have been dismissed out of hand, because the statute of limitations bars some of the claims, no one was harmed by Trump’s alleged fraud, and James’ involvement in private business dealings threatened to drive business out of the state.
Trump’s lawyers argue that Engoron’s decision, if upheld, would give James, a Democrat, “unfettered authority to target anyone she wants, including her political opponents,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a 116-page filing with the state’s appellate division.
Engoron rejected many of the same objections when the case went to trial last year, at one point likening it to the plot of the movie “Groundhog Day” and fining some of Trump’s lawyers $7,500 for “repeated and frivolous arguments.” The appeals court previously rejected Trump’s bid to end the case on statute of limitations and other grounds.
trump card Issued $175 million in bonds in April. To stop the judgment from being collected and prevent James’s office from seizing his property while he appeals. If he wins, he won’t have to pay anything to the state and will get back the money he’s already paid.
“Such a gross miscarriage of justice is utterly un-American, and a full reversal of the decision is the only way to restore public confidence in the integrity of New York’s judicial system,” Trump attorney Christopher Case said in a statement. He called Engoron’s rulings “lawless” and “unconnected to the law or commercial reality,” and called the stunning ruling “cruel, illegal, and unconstitutional.”
The appeals court said it would hear oral arguments in late September. Trump’s lawyers began the appeal days after Engoron’s ruling and had until Monday to submit written arguments.
James’ office said Trump and his lawyers were making unfounded claims.
“We won this case on the facts and the law, and we are confident that we will prevail on appeal,” James’ office said in a statement.
Monday’s appeal filing is the latest development in a momentous legal and political period for Trump, who last week accepted the Republican presidential nomination just days after being shot at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were wounded.
On July 1, the Supreme Court upheld Trump’s ruling that former presidents are immune from prosecution. Criminal prosecution for official acts performed while in officefurther delaying his election interference case in Washington, D.C., and delaying sentencing in his New York hush money criminal case until September 18 while his lawyers fight to overturn that conviction.
On July 15, a federal judge in Florida issued a ruling that Trump’s Secret Documents Rejected The case, which ruled that special counsel Jack Smith, who brought the charges, was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. Smith is appealing the ruling.
In the civil fraud case, Engoron found that Trump, his company and top executives — including his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. — schemed for years to inflate his wealth on financial statements used to secure loans and close deals.
In addition to the hefty financial penalty, the judge imposed strict restrictions on the Trump Organization’s ability to do business. Among other consequences, Engoron placed the Trump Organization under the supervision of a court-appointed monitor for at least three years.
Trump’s appeal ensures the legal battle over Trump’s business practices will continue into the fall and beyond.
If Engoron’s ruling is upheld, it will force Trump to abandon A large part of his wealthThe judge ordered Trump to pay a $355 million fine, but with interest the total has grown to more than $470 million — including $16.8 million that has accumulated since the verdict. The amount will grow by about $112,000 each day until he pays, unless the verdict is overturned.
Trump claims to be worth several billion dollars, and last year testified that he had about $400 million in cash, as well as real estate and other investments. James, a Democrat, said that if Trump can’t pay, she would seek to seize some of his assets.
Trump and his lawyers have been paving the way for their appeal for months by repeatedly objecting to Engoron’s handling of the trial. Trump has called Engoron’s decision “election interference” and “weaponizing a political opponent.” He has complained that he is being punished because he “built a great company, a lot of money, great buildings, great everything.”
During the trial, Trump’s lawyers Engoron accused of “concrete and overwhelming” bias.They also objected to the legal mechanisms of James’ lawsuit. Trump claims that the law under which he was sued is a consumer protection law that is often used to rein in companies that exploit customers.
Trump’s lawyers have gone to the appellate division at least 10 times to challenge Engoron’s previous rulings, including during the trial in Failed attempt to lift gag order And $15,000 fines for violations after Trump posted an offensive and false post on social media. About a key court employee.
Trump’s lawyers have long argued that some of the allegations are barred by the statute of limitations, alleging that Engoron failed to comply with an appeals court ruling last year narrowing the scope of the trial to eliminate old allegations.
The appeals court could either uphold Engoron’s sentence, reduce or modify the sentence, or overturn the decision entirely. If Trump is unsuccessful on appeal, he could ask the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, to consider taking his case.