Trump argues against $370 million fines in civil fraud trial conclusion
New York Attorney General Seeks $370 Million in Penalties from Trump in Fraud Lawsuit
In a dramatic turn of events, New York Attorney General Letitia James is pushing for former President Donald Trump to pay a staggering $370 million in penalties for allegedly misrepresenting his net worth on official business statements. This amount is a significant increase from the initial $250 million proposed when the civil lawsuit was first filed.
As the monthslong trial against the Trump Organization nears its conclusion, James argues that additional evidence of “ill-gotten gains” has emerged, revealing fraudulent statements submitted by Trump and his family to banks and insurers. In court filings, the attorney general asserts that these actions warrant a higher penalty.
Prior to the trial, Judge Arthur Engoron ordered the dissolution of Trump’s New York business empire, effectively barring him from conducting future business in the state. However, James is seeking further penalties on top of Engoron’s ruling, and her recent brief outlines the comprehensive list of requested penalties.
Among the penalties sought by James is a lifetime ban on Trump, as well as his former business associates Allen Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney, from serving as officers or directors of any New York corporation. According to Kevin Wallace, James’s assistant, Trump and his associates collaborated for years to inflate his net worth while concealing the fraud from others.
Trump’s legal team, in their own filings, argues that state law does not permit the attorney general to seek such substantial financial penalties. However, this argument has previously been unsuccessful.
The trial is set to conclude with closing arguments on January 11, and Judge Engoron will make a decision on the penalties by the end of the month.
Throughout the trial, Trump has attempted to portray Judge Engoron as partisan, alleging that his clerk’s political donations to Democratic causes could influence the verdict. However, the request for a mistrial based on this claim was denied by Engoron in November.
Under a gag order, Trump is prohibited from commenting on courtroom staff and has already been fined $15,000 for violating the order twice.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
