“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary on Wednesday slammed former President Trump’s $355 million corporate fraud verdict in New York, predicting it would soon be thrown out by an appeals court.
Mr. O’Leary said the decision was the result of a “rogue judge” who went far beyond the norms of the law, putting New York business investment at risk.
“If you’re going to invest billions of dollars anywhere in the world, the most coveted place is the United States of America. That’s the American brand,” O’Leary said Wednesday on “The Hill on NewsNation.” told Mr. Berman. “You really don’t want to mess it up.”
“That’s an unjust judge,” he added. “In my opinion, this is an unfair settlement and should be reversed, and will be reversed through the Court of Appeals.”
O’Leary has been a vocal critic of the ruling and New York District Attorney Letitia James (D), who brought the case.
Mr. James said Tuesday that he would pursue the seizure of Mr. Trump’s assets, including certain Wall Street skyscrapers, if the former president did not pay up.
“Asset seizures are happening in many countries where people don’t want to put their money in,” O’Leary said.
The fraud case found that Trump falsely altered his net worth and the value of various properties in order to obtain more favorable loan terms. New York state claimed he sent false information to banks and insurance companies, which the state claimed was evidence of fraud.
As part of the verdict against Trump, he was also banned from operating a business in New York for three years.
O’Leary’s comments Wednesday came after he first criticized the ruling and said he would avoid investing in New York because of the precedent it set.
“I was already at the top of the list of loser states. I would never invest in New York now,” O’Leary said in an interview on FOX Business on Monday. “And I’m not the only one saying that.”
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