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 attorneys call trial 'election interference'
Members of Donald Trump's legal team, speaking to reporters outside the courthouse prior to the start of the trial, called the fraud allegations against the former president "election interference."
Trump's attorneys said that Democrats were using the case to fight Trump's efforts to retake the White House in 2024.
Attorney general arrives at courthouse
New York Attorney General Letitia James has arrived at the courthouse in lower Manhattan.
"No matter how powerful you are, no matter how much money you think you may have, no one is above the law," James said to the cameras before entering the courthouse.
"Today we will prove our case in court," she said. "Justice will prevail."
Demonstrators across the street from the courthouse cheered and applauded as the AG arrived.
Trump on way to courthouse
Former President Trump is in a motorcade on his way to the courthouse in lower Manhattan where his fraud trial will get underway this morning.
Opening statements in the case are scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m. ET.
-John Santucci
NY attorney general releases statement on 1st day of trial
New York Attorney General Letitia James released a statement on Monday just hours before the first day of trial in her fraud case against former President Donald Trump.
"For years, Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth to enrich himself and cheat the system," James said. "We won the foundation of our case last week and proved that his purported net worth has long been rooted in incredible fraud. In this country, there are consequences for this type of persistent fraud, and we look forward to demonstrating the full extent of his fraud and illegality during trial."
"No matter how rich or powerful you are, there are not two sets of laws for people in this country," she added. "The rule of law must apply equally to everyone, and it is my responsibility to make sure that it does."
Judge stops expert's testimony following state's objection
Donald Trump's lawyers abruptly stopped the testimony of their first expert witness -- who was expected to testify for a full day or two -- after Judge Engoron limited the topic areas of his testimony.
Steven Witkoff, a real estate investor and longtime friend of Trump's, was brought into court by the defense team to testify that Trump's Doral golf club was undervalued in Trump's financial statements.
But Judge Engoron sustained an objection from the state barring any testimony about the valuation of Doral, significantly limiting Witkoff's testimony and appearing to hamper the defense strategy proposed by Trump's attorney Chris Kise.
Kise argued that the inaccuracies in Trump's statement of financial condition can cut both ways: Even if some properties were overvalued, other properties like Doral were significantly undervalued and balanced out the statement, according to Kise.
"It is highly, extraordinarily relevant if there are assets that are undervalued substantially on those same statements," Kise said. "They can't look at this one-sided."
State attorney Andrew Amer fiercely rebutted that argument, telling Engoron he should not take the defense's position that the inconsistencies "come out in the wash."
That argument appeared to convince Engoron, who said that overvaluations would not "insulate" a false valuation. He promised to sustain any objection that related to the value of Doral -- an approach Kise described as "lunacy."
"The reader of the financial statement has the right to know whether each particular number was accurate," Engoron said. "They are looking for accuracy."