Appeals court gives Trump some good news — with a catch

A Monday ruling by an appellate court significantly reduced the bond payment required of 45th President Donald Trump. Under this new decision, Trump is mandated to make a payment of $175 million within the forthcoming ten days. 

This adjustment comes in the wake of an impending deadline that had been set for Trump to fulfill a $454 million bond stemming from fake accusations of civil fraud levied by New York’s Attorney General, Letitia James.

The court approved a motion to temporarily halt the enforcement of specific sections of a judgment, subject to conditions. These sections include the requirement for the defendants to pay $464,576,230.62 in disgorgement to the Attorney General, which will be stayed if the defendants post a $175 million bond within 10 days. 

Additionally, the enforcement of bans on Weisselberg and McConney from holding financial control positions and on Trump, Weisselberg, and McConney from serving as officers or directors in New York corporations is stayed. 

The judgment also temporarily lifts the prohibition against Trump and corporate defendants from securing loans from New York financial institutions and the ban on Donald Trump, Jr. and Eric Trump from serving as officers or directors of any New York corporation. This stay is conditional upon the defendants appealing the case for the court’s term of September 2024.

It added, “The motion is otherwise denied, including to the extent it seeks a stay of enforcement of portions of the judgment (1) extending and enhancing the role of the Monitor and (2) directing the installation of an Independent Director of Compliance.”

Trump’s attorneys noted last week that “very few bonding companies will consider a bond of anything approaching that magnitude.” 

In response, James claimed, “If defendants were truly unable to provide an undertaking, they at a minimum should have consented to have their real-estate interests held by Supreme Court to satisfy the judgment.”