Donald Trump posted a US$175 million bond in his New York civil fraud case on Monday, averting asset seizures by state authorities that could have hobbled the former US president’s business empire.
The Republican Trump, set to face Democratic President Joe Biden in the November US election, was found liable on February 16 for fraudulently inflating his net worth by billions of dollars to secure better loan and insurance terms.
Trump originally needed to post a bond for US$454 million, but an appeal court on March 25 stayed enforcement of Justice Arthur Engoron’s judgment on condition that Trump pay the smaller sum within 10 days.
A three-judge panel of the appeal court will hear Trump’s appeal on the merits. The appeal court ruling reducing the bond is no indication of how the panel will ultimately rule.
The bond prevents New York Attorney General Letitia James from going after Trump’s properties, including Trump Tower, his 149.7-hectare (370-acre) resort and golf course in Westchester and his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and said the case is a political witch hunt by James, a Democrat who sued him in 2022.
In a 92-page order, Justice Engoron described how Trump directed deputies to change the values of his properties to arrive at his desired net worth for a decade before his entry into politics.
The case is part of a maelstrom of legal troubles Trump faces, including a criminal trial in New York set to begin on April 15.
Trump, who has pleaded not guilty, is accused in that case of illegally covering up hush money payments to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election. He has also been charged in two cases with trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden and in another over his handling of classified documents upon leaving office.
Those have been mired in delays and may not go to trial before the November election. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all of them.
A court on Monday ordered Trump to stop verbal attacks on family members of a New York judge and others in his hush money trial after he disparaged the judge’s daughter.
“All citizens, called upon to participate in these proceedings, whether as a juror, a witness, or in some other capacity, must now concern themselves not only with their own personal safety, but with the safety and the potential for personal attacks upon their loved ones. That reality cannot be overstated,” Juan Merchan said in the expanded gag order.
New York prosecutors have argued that Trump was trying to scare potential witnesses and urged Merchan to make clear that his existing gag order, which bars Trump from publicly commenting about witnesses and court staff, also applies to family members.
They were responding to a March 28 social media post by Trump, who called Merchan’s daughter a “Rabid Trump Hater” and called for the judge to be removed from the case.
“Family members of trial participants must be strictly off-limits,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo wrote. “Defendant’s insistence to the contrary bespeaks a dangerous sense of entitlement to instigate fear and even physical harm to the loved ones of those he sees in the courtroom.”
Merchan’s daughter runs a digital marketing agency called Authentic Campaigns, which works with Democratic candidates and non-profits.
Trump’s lawyers have argued that her work poses a conflict of interest and have unsuccessfully sought to oust Merchan from the case.
Susan Necheles, a lawyer for Trump in the hush money case, declined to comment on Merchan’s expanded gag order.
Trump’s defence lawyers have said Trump’s posts did not violate the gag order and were not meant to interfere with the proceedings or cause any harm.
“President Trump must be permitted to speak on these issues in a manner that is consistent with his position as the leading presidential candidate,” his lawyer Todd Blanche wrote.
Trump is set to go on trial in New York state court in Manhattan on criminal charges of covering up a US$130,000 payment before the 2016 election to porn star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged sexual encounter.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and denies an encounter with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
Trump could face fines or jail time if he violates Merchan’s gag order, which does not bar him from criticising the judge or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office brought the charges last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment