Donald Trump has appealed a judge’s ruling that the former US president must pay $454 million (€418 million) in penalties and interest for fraudulently exaggerating his net worth and the values of his real estate holdings to secure better loan terms.
Mr Trump asked an intermediate-level state appellate court to overturn Justice Arthur Engoron’s 16 February ruling in a civil fraud lawsuit brought in 2022 by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The penalties, along with sizable jury awards in two other civil cases, could become a drain on Mr Trump’s cash reserves and hobble parts of his real estate empire as he pursues the Republican nomination to challenge President Joe Biden in the 5 November US election.
Ms James, a Democrat, accused Mr Trump in the lawsuit of overstating his net worth by as much as $3.6 billion (€3.3 billion) in financial statements provided to banks.
Mr Trump has accused Ms James and Justice Engoron of political bias against him.
In addition to imposing the monetary penalties, Justice Engoron’s decision barred Mr Trump from running a corporation in New York or seeking loans with banks chartered or registered in the state for three years.
The judge also enhanced the powers of a court-appointed financial watchdog at the Trump Organization, the umbrella entity for the former president’s business ventures.
The appeals court, formally called the Appellate Division, First Department, potentially could put the judge’s ruling on hold during an appeals process that could last a year or longer.
Mr Trump denied wrongdoing. He is worth $2.6 billion (€2.3 billion), according to a Forbes estimate, but accounts of his worth vary greatly, and it remained unclear how much cash he has on hand.
Mr Trump said in a deposition in April 2023 that he had roughly $400 million (€368 million) in liquid assets.
Three-month trial
Justice Engoron’s ruling followed a contentious three-month trial in Manhattan that began in October.
It featured testimony by Mr Trump, who conceded that his property valuations were not always accurate but said his lenders were on notice to independently verify them.
The judge also fined Mr Trump’s sons Don Jr. and Eric $4 million (€3.6 million) each and barred them from running a New York corporation for two years.
Both men have denied wrongdoing and joined in Mr Trump’s appeal today.
The payouts from Justice Engoron’s judgment total $464.4 million (€428 million) for all defendants.
More than $114,000 (€105,000) of interest will continue accruing daily, mostly for Mr Trump alone. The judgment was made public on Friday.
The case is part of a maelstrom of legal troubles Mr Trump faces, including criminal charges in four separate cases, though none have diminished his commanding lead in the race for the Republican nomination.
Mr Trump has used the cases to rally his base and raise money, telling supporters that he is being targeted for political reasons.
Other civil cases
In one of the other civil cases, a jury in January found that Mr Trump must pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million (€76.7 million) for defaming her by denying her claim that he raped her decades earlier.
Mr Trump has vowed to appeal. Another jury last year ordered Mr Trump to pay Ms Carroll $5 million (€4.6 million) in a separate case.
Mr Trump is separately trying to delay enforcement of the $83.3 million verdict and wants to appeal without posting any security.
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversees that case, gave Ms Carroll until Thursday to respond.
In one of the criminal cases, a New York judge has set a 25 March trial date for Mr Trump on charges involving falsifying business records to conceal hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election that gave him the presidency.
Mr Trump is also under indictment in Washington and Georgia over his efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss and in Florida over his handling of classified documents upon leaving office. He has pleaded not guilty in all four cases.
