The legal representatives of 45th President Donald Trump have initiated an appeal against a decision by New York Judge Arthur Engoron, which found Trump accountable for damages exceeding $350 million in a civil fraud lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The total sum, including interest, presently stands at approximately $354 million, with the interest accruing at a daily rate close to $112,000.
The lawsuit, spearheaded by James, implicated not only Trump but also his family members and the Trump Organization. Judge Engoron determined that the involved parties were responsible for various fraudulent activities, including “persistent and repeated fraud,” manipulation of business records, disseminating inaccurate financial statements, and engaging in insurance fraud, among others.
Throughout the trial, Judge Engoron expressed criticism of Trump’s courtroom demeanor, observing that Trump often avoided direct responses to inquiries, instead opting for lengthy and unrelated discourses. “His refusal to answer the questions directly, or in some cases, at all, severely compromised his credibility,” Engoron noted in his judgment.
Trump’s attorney, Christopher Kise, hinted at an impending appeal shortly after Engoron’s ruling, challenging the verdict’s fairness and neutrality. Kise argued that the judgment disregarded both legal principles and factual evidence, failing to substantiate the Attorney General’s allegations of fraud. He emphasized that no testimonies or evidence presented during the trial corroborated claims of fraudulent behavior, asserting that Trump’s declared net worth was substantiated by the evidence.
The Attorney General’s office had proposed stringent sanctions against Trump and his associates, including a five-year prohibition on loan applications within New York and restrictions on the Trump Organization’s real estate operations.
In a pivotal decision made in September, Engoron found that Trump and his business empire engaged in fraudulent practices, misleading banks, insurers, and other entities by inflating asset values and overstating net worth in financial documents crucial for negotiations and financing.
During his testimony, Trump vocally criticized Engoron’s judgment, feeling unjustly targeted without a thorough understanding of his personal or financial background. “He ruled against me without knowing anything about me,” Trump lamented, highlighting Engoron’s characterization of him as a fraud without direct knowledge of his affairs.