Trump Returns to Court: Appeal Against $454 Million Civil Fraud Ruling Set for New York
Although former President Donald Trump is unlikely to face any new criminal trials ahead of Election Day, he is scheduled for another court appearance on September 26. During this session, a New York appeals court will consider his request to overturn a hefty $454 million ruling that accused him of deceiving lenders.
The appeals court in Manhattan has set this date to allow Trump to challenge the findings of trial Judge Arthur Engoron, who determined that Trump had fraudulently overstated the value of his assets to obtain more favorable loan and insurance conditions.
Neither Trump’s representatives nor the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James provided immediate comments when asked.
Judge Engoron held Trump and several of his business entities accountable for the $454 million judgment, along with accumulating interest. He also assigned around $10 million in additional liability to Trump’s two eldest sons, Eric and Don Jr., as well as former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg.
In the appeal, Trump’s legal team claims that Attorney General James failed to file the case on time. They further argue that he did not breach the relevant New York fraud laws, stating that the financial documents in question had disclaimers and that any erroneous valuations did not result in harm.
This appeals court had previously been favorable to Trump in this matter: it permitted him and his co-defendants to secure a bond of only $175 million instead of the total judgment to safeguard against James attempting to seize Trump’s properties while they appeal.
Recently, Trump’s lawyers made an unsuccessful attempt to have Engoron removed from the case, citing a conversation between the judge and another attorney about the fraud statute, claiming it was a violation of rules concerning judicial interaction with experts. Engoron refuted their claims, stating he felt “accosted” by the other attorney and asserted he did not factor that conversation into his decisions.
Even with the appeal underway, Engoron maintains oversight of the situation, having established ongoing restrictions on the defendants, which include continuing supervision of the Trump Organization by an independent monitor.