Letitia James taunts Trump by updating the interest he must pay every day on his $355 million fraud fine as he pushes to pay bail within 30 days
- New York’s Attorney General posted at X the amount of interest accruing every day since Trump’s fraud verdict officially went into effect
- The former president has less than 30 days to come up with the $355 million plus $100+ million, or after the bond.
- Trump’s legal team has officially appealed the fraud verdict
New York Attorney General Letitia James appears to be taunting former President Trump online as he scrambles to pay the staggering nearly $355 million fine plus interest in his civil fraud case.
James has posted multiple times on X the amount the former president owes plus accrued interest, which amounts to more than $112,000 per day.
On Saturday, James posted on X “+$114,553.04” with a retweet of the total penalty and interest. On Sunday, she posted “+$114,553.04 = $464,805,336.70.” On Friday, she posted “$464,576,230.62.”
Her trolling came after the civil fraud judgment officially went into effect Friday, starting the clock on the 30 days for Trump to pay the cash or bond.
The former president was ordered to pay as much as $355 million plus more than $100 million in interest on February 16 after being found liable for fraud for inflating the value of his properties. He was also banned from doing business in New York for three years.
His two adult sons, Don Jr. and Eric, were also each fined $4 million and banned from doing business in the state for two years.
On Monday, the Republican presidential candidate and his sons filed an appeal to overturn Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling in the civil fraud case, including the large fine and ban on doing business in New York. But appealing the judgment does not automatically stop the execution of the judgment.
Trump in court during his civil fraud trial in New York. The former president was ordered to pay nearly $355 million and banned from doing business in the state for three years after being found liable for fraud. On Friday, his legal team filed an appeal to overturn the decision
New York Attorney General Letitia James has said she is prepared to seize Trump’s assets if the former president does not pay up. She filed the case in 2022, accusing Trump of inflating the value of his properties
It is unclear how Trump will get the money to pay the fine, plus a separate $83.3 million judgment in the defamation case against E. Jean Carroll.
Trump said under oath last year that he has more than $400 million in cash, so it doesn’t appear the presidential candidate has enough cash on hand to cover his mounting legal costs, raising questions about whether he will have to sell assets in his real ownership. real estate portfolio.
James raised the civil fraud case in 2022 and has said she is prepared to seize Trump’s assets if he doesn’t pay up.
Trump’s attorney Alina Habba rejected James’ comments, saying her goal to “take down” the Trump Organization would not succeed.
James, a Democrat, accused Trump in the lawsuit of overstating his wealth by as much as $3.6 billion in financial statements provided to banks to obtain favorable loan terms.
A view of the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in Manhattan on March 21, 2023. In one example, Trump was accused of knowingly inflating the value of his penthouse by claiming it was 30,000 square feet, when it was just over 10,000 square meters.
The appeals court, formally called the Appellate Division, First Department, could potentially stay the judge’s ruling during an appeal that could take a year or more.
Engoron’s hefty ruling followed a contentious three-month trial in Manhattan that began in October. It included testimony from Trump, who admitted that his property appraisals were not always accurate but said his lenders were on notice to independently verify them.
Trump has repeatedly lashed out at both James and Engoron, saying he is the victim of a “political witch hunt.”
The increasing penalties for Trump are just the start of the serious legal challenges the former president faces this year. He also faces 91 criminal charges in four criminal cases.
The first case is expected to go to trial on March 25. Trump is being charged in connection with hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump also faces charges in Washington, DC and Georgia over his efforts to overturn 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.
Even as Trump faces a barrage of legal challenges, his momentum continues to build in his quest to secure the Republican presidential nomination.
On Saturday, he won the Republican party’s primary in South Carolina, immediately winning all four Republican early voting races. He was leading in Michigan polls ahead of Tuesday’s Republican Party primaries.