A lawyer for former President Donald Trump responded to claims that New York Attorney General Letitia James may seize some of his properties after a judge ruled against him last week in a civil fraud case.
This week, Ms. James, a Democrat, threatened to seize his assets in the state, even though President Trump has a period of time to pay the $355 million fine that the judge levied against him and within the window to appeal to a higher court.
Other than the fine, New York Judge Arthur Engoron also ruled that President Trump cannot operate any business within New York for the next three years, that both his eldest sons cannot do business for two years, and also handed down fines and punishment against other Trump Organization officials.
In his order, Judge Engoron claimed President Trump defrauded banks and insurers by artificially inflating his net worth and properties, while the Trumps and The Trump Organization denied any wrongdoing.
Judge Engoron, a Democrat, concluded that President Trump and his company were “likely to continue their fraudulent ways” without the penalties and controls he imposed. The judge then concluded that the former president and his co-defendants “failed to accept responsibility” and that experts who testified on his behalf “simply denied reality.”
Ms. James told reporters that “justice has been served” and called the ruling “a tremendous victory for this state, this nation, and for everyone who believes that we all must play by the same rules ... even former presidents.”
Lawyer’s Response
After Ms. James’s threat, Trump lawyer Alina Habba said that the attorney general has a “goal of tearing down The Trump Organization” and a “goal of tearing down the individuals that worked so hard, including on his campaign, his family, and the list goes on and on.”“Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank and Trump have no problems, no lawsuits. No one’s saying they lost money. No one’s saying they were hurt,“ the attorney said. ”They put a number on it, they get a deal. They make a contract, and then they’re good on the terms of that contract.
Other Activity
Previously, and before the threat, she told Fox News that President Trump would likely pay a nearly $400 million bond to try and appeal his case, while reports have indicated that interest on the judgment is costing him about $90,000 per day.“I can tell you what the rules are. Within 30 days, even if we choose to appeal this, we have to post the bond, which is the full amount, and then some. We will be prepared to do that,” Ms. Habba stated.
Also, during the interview, she said that posting a bond is on the table, but “you can tell the judge that you should set aside the verdict because it’s insane, which this is. And all of those options are on the table.”
Before that, another lawyer indicated on Feb. 19 that his team plans to appeal the decision and focus on the judge’s definition of fraud in the case. It “raises serious legal and constitutional questions regarding ‘fraud’ claims without any actual fraud,” Christopher Kise said.
