New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) praised Judge Arthur Engoron’s Friday ruling in former President Trump’s civil fraud case that ordered Trump to pay more than $350 million.
“Today, justice was served. Today we proved that no one is above the law, no matter how rich, powerful or politically connected they are.” , James said at a press conference following the long-awaited decision.
The Engoron decision ended a months-long legal battle after Mr. James sued Mr. Trump for altering the net worth of his business in 2022 to obtain financial gain.
James claimed that Trump engaged in “deceptive business practices and gross fraud” by inflating his net worth to “cheat the system.”
The $355 million verdict against Trump falls short of the $370 million the attorney general’s office had sought. Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, were each ordered to pay more than $4 million, and former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg was ordered to pay $1 million. Ta.
In addition to financial penalties, Engoron’s decision limits the extent to which Trump and his co-defendants can be involved in business operations in New York state. The 92-page ruling bars the former president from serving as an officer or director of a New York corporation for three years, and also bars his sons for two years.
“The scale and scope of Donald Trump’s fraud is astounding…and his ego is also astounding. And he believes that those rules don’t apply to him,” James said on Friday. Told. “Today, we will hold Donald Trump accountable.”
“We are holding him accountable for his lies, his cheating, and his lack of repentance. For his disregard for the rules we are all supposed to follow,” she continued, adding, “Because this country… So there can’t be different rules for different people, and former presidents are no exception.”
Mr. Trump’s lawyers pushed back against Mr. Enogoron’s decision, with one calling it “tyrannical.”
“It’s hard to imagine a more unfair process, and it’s hard to believe this is happening in the United States,” Kise said in a statement. “Make no mistake about it, the severe future consequences of this tyrannical abuse of power will not only affect President Trump,” Chris Kiss, a lawyer for President Trump, said in a statement. He said he would appeal against the decision.
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