Donald Trump is requesting a different judge to reconsider a decision that mandates him to pay $454 million in fines and interest for a fraud case in New York.
This month’s decision resulted in a $355 million award, but the amount will continue to grow with interest, increasing by a minimum of $112,000 each day.
The New York Attorney General Letitia James said she will take some of Mr. Trump’s things if he doesn’t pay.
He was caught for lying about how much his property was worth to get a better deal on his loan.
Judge Arthur Engoron stopped the ex-president from doing any business in the state of New York for three years.
The Republican candidate for president is going to court again on Monday. This might cause more legal problems for him before the election in November,when he will probably run against President Joe Biden.
Mr Trump always said he would appeal the decision because he thinks it’s a political attack against him.
His lawyer, Alina Habba, said they want the higher court to cancel the big fine and make people trust the legal system in New York again.
In their legal document, the lawyers asked a higher court to decide if the lower court made mistakes in the law or facts and if it acted in a way it shouldn’t have.
The ex-president’s lawyers say he shouldn’t have been sued for breaking a law that is usually used to punish companies that cheat their customers.
Mr Trump’s lawyers have disagreed with Judge Engoron’s decisions at least 10 times before, and they also challenged a gag order.
The process to appeal could take a year or more.
Mr Trump might not have to pay right away if he gives money, assets, or a bond for the amount he owes. We don’t know which path he will choose.
Mr Trump’s two grown-up sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, have to each pay $4million and are not allowed to do business in New York for the next two years. They say they did nothing wrong and supported their dad’s appeal on Monday.
The ex-president had to pay $83millionbecause he lost a case where a woman accused him of sexually abusing her. This made it even harder for him as he was already running out of money.
In May 2023, he tried to sue the New York Times but he lost. He was told to pay for the reporters’ legal costs. On Monday, reporter Susanne Craig tweeted that Mr. Trump paid $392,600 as required.
Mr. Trump is worth around$2. 6billionIt’s not clear how much money he has right now, but last year he said he has $400million in easily accessible money.
The trial in October was about deciding what punishments Mr. Trump would get because the judge had already said he did business fraud.
He has to deal with another case in New York City next month. In the court case, they say Mr. Trump lied about his business records to hide money he paid to a movie star before the 2016 election.
On Monday, the prosecutor in Manhattan asked a judge to order Mr. Trump not to speak publicly about the case.
The prosecutor’s office said they needed the measure to keep jurors, witnesses, and court staff safe from Mr. Trump’s history of saying public and upsetting things.
Steven Cheung, who works for Trump’s campaign, said that the request is against the law and violates Mr. Trump’s rights
He said again what the ex-president said, that the charges against him are unfair and are trying to stop him from beingelectedagain.