Trump civil fraud case: Judge fines Trump $354 million, says frauds 'shock the conscience'
The former president was found to have defrauded lenders.
Former President Donald Trump has been fined $354.8 million plus approximately $100 million in interest in a civil fraud lawsuit that could alter the personal fortune and real estate empire that helped propel him to the White House. In the decision, Judge Arthur Engoron excoriated Trump, saying the president's credibility was "severely compromised," that the frauds "shock the conscience" and that Trump and his co-defendants showed a "complete lack of contrition and remorse" that he said "borders on pathological."
Engoron also hit Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump with $4 million fines and barred all three from helming New York companies for years. New York Attorney General Letitia James accused Trump and his adult sons of engaging in a decade-long scheme in which they used "numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation" to inflate Trump's net worth in order get more favorable loan terms. The former president has denied all wrongdoing and has said he will appeal.
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Summary of penalties
Donald Trump and his adult sons were hit with millions in fines in the civil fraud trial and barred for years from being officers in New York companies. The judge said the frauds "shock the conscience."
Donald Trump: $354 million fine + approx. $100 million in interest
+ barred for 3 years from serving as officer of NY company
Donald Trump Jr.: $4 million fine
+ barred for 2 years from serving as officer of NY company
Eric Trump: $4 million fine
+ barred for 2 years from serving as officer of NY company
Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg: $1 million fine
+ barred for 3 years from serving as officer of NY company
+ barred for life from financial management role in NY company
Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney:
+ barred for 3 years from serving as officer of NY company
+ barred for life from financial management role in NY company
Trump takes the stand
"The people call Donald J. Trump," state attorney Kevin Wallace said.
With that, Donald Trump rose from his seat, made the short walk from the counsel table to the witness stand, and took a seat.
To his immediate right sits Judge Arthur Engoron and his clerk Allison Greenfield, who Trump has repeatedly criticized as biased. Directly across from him and in eyeshot is New York Attorney General Letitia James, who sits in the courtroom's gallery with her eyes fixed on the former president.
Trump, wearing a tailored navy blue suit, blue dress shirt, and blue tie, sits slightly slouched in the witness box.
"Please raise your right hand," a court officer advised Trump. "Do you solemnly swear or affirm that any testimony you give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"
"I do," Trump said with his hand raised.
The numbers 'don't lie,' says New York AG
New York Attorney General Letitia James briefly conferred with her team of lawyers in court this morning before taking her seat in the gallery.
Before entering the courtroom, James predicted that Trump will likely engage in "name calling, taunts, [and] race baiting" to distract from his testimony.
"Before he takes the stand, I am certain that he will engage in name calling, taunts, race baiting, and call this a witch hunt," James told reporters. "But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters are the facts and the numbers, and numbers, my friends, don't lie."
New York AG's senior counsel to question Trump
Senior Enforcement Counsel Kevin Wallace of the New York attorney general's office will lead the direct examination of Donald Trump when the former president takes the stand this morning.
Wallace led the depositions of Trump during the New York attorney general's investigation and also delivered the state's opening statement in the trial.
"The defendants were lying year after year," Wallace said in his opening statement.
A constant presence in court during the trial, Wallace joined the New York AG's office in 2018 after working in the private sector for 15 years.
Wallace and Trump sparred for hours during Trump's April deposition, according to a transcript of the deposition that was subsequently released by the AG's office.
"We're going to be here until midnight if your client answers every question with an eight-minute speech," Wallace remarked after one of Trump's lengthier answers.
Wallace tried to press Trump on spreadsheets that Wallace displayed during the deposition, promoting frequent objections from Trump's lawyers.
"Oh my God -- are you people capable of reading a spreadsheet?" an exasperated Wallace said after one objection from Trump's attorney Chris Kise.
Trump arrives at courthouse
Donald Trump's motorcade has arrived at the New York State Supreme Courthouse in lower Manhattan.
Court is scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m. ET, with Trump scheduled as the day's only witness.
Judge admonishes Trump after he posts about clerk
As court resumed after the lunch break, Judge Engoron admonished Donald Trump for a post he made this afternoon on his Truth Social platform regarding Engoron's clerk, Alison Greenfield.
"Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable and inappropriate. Consider this statement a gag order forbidding all parties from posting, emailing or speaking publicly about any of my staff," the judge said in his admonishment.
The post, which included a photo of Greenfield with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, made unsubstantiated claims about her connections with Schumer and falsely claimed that Greenfield is "running" the case against Trump.
Trump apparently made the post, which linked to Greenfield's Instagram account, while the former president was sitting in the courtroom.
The post was deleted shortly before the judge's admonishment, but it was up for at least an hour and a half. Engoron lamented that the sentiment was shared to millions.
The judge did not mention Trump by name but noted the post came from one of the defendants.
Greenfield sits at the bench to Engoron's immediate right and the judge is often seen conferring with her over legal and logistical matters.
In a statement, Schumer spokesperson Allison Biasotti called Trump's post "ridiculous, absurd, and false," saying that "Sen. Schumer does not know Ms. Greenfield. As is well known, Sen. Schumer attends countless events in every corner of the state where tens of thousands of constituents take photos with him, just like this one, which was taken at a stop at an annual brunch in Manhattan.”
-ABC News' Peter Charalambous, Aaron Katersky, Soo Rin Kim, Lalee Ibssa and Kendall Ross