New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) is asking the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's civil fraud trial to impose a $370 million fine on the 45th president and his business empire.
Judge Arthur Engoron has already found Trump liable for business fraud. The trial is to determine how much in damages Trump and others owe for misleading investors and tax authorities by inflating property values to obtain investments and later deflating them to get tax and loan benefits.
New York AG Letitia James asked a judge to fine Donald Trump, his eldest sons and his business over $370 million, and to impose a lifetime ban on Trump from New York real estate. @AaronKatersky explains the court filing and shares Trump's response. https://t.co/X3Iy2QbsxO pic.twitter.com/xpIMlvTQvg
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) January 6, 2024
In a court filing on Friday, James stated that Trump, his business and several top executives – including his adult sons – used deceptive schemes to inflate the former president's net worth by billions.
Trump used a recent appearance on the witness stand to sharply criticize Judge Engoron's proceedings, Letitia James and the Democratic Party as a whole, while portraying himself as a victim of political persecution.
At one point, Trump called Engoron out to his face, saying, “I'm sure the judge will rule against me because he always rules against me.”