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Donald Trump has to pay a heavy fine.
© Brendan McDermid/POOL Reuters/AP/dpa
Donald Trump just had to accept a fine of more than $80 million in a defamation trial - now comes the next expensive slap for the former US president.
New York - Former US President Donald Trump has been sentenced to pay a fine of around 355 million US dollars (around 330 million euros) in a fraud trial.
In addition, the real estate entrepreneur Trump is not allowed to run a company in New York state for three years, according to a 92-page order that Judge Arthur Engoron published on Friday.
Trump's sons Eric and Donald Jr. each have to pay a fine of around four million dollars and are not allowed to run a company in New York state for two years.
“The complete lack of remorse and insight on their part is almost pathological,” Judge Engoron wrote, referring to Trump and his sons in the order.
The verdict is a “devastating defeat” for Trump and the fine could wipe out his “entire cash supply,” commented the New York Times.
Trump's lawyers announced that they would appeal.
Political beliefs and the venue of the trial, not the facts, determined the outcome of the trial, criticized Donald Trump Jr. after the decision on the online platform X, formerly Twitter.
The metropolis of New York is considered liberal and usually votes predominantly Democratic.
The civil case was about the future of the 77-year-old's corporate empire.
Prosecutors accused Trump, his sons and employees of manipulating the value of the Trump Organization for years in order to obtain cheaper loans and insurance contracts.
Judge Engoron had already confirmed this before the trial.
The proceedings were therefore primarily about determining possible penalties and other charges.
During the trial, both Trump himself and several of his children were questioned.
Ex-president involved in further proceedings
There was no threat of prison time or direct impact on Trump's bid for the presidency in the civil case.
However, the ex-president is currently involved in a number of other proceedings.
Only on Thursday was the start of a trial in connection with hush money payments to a porn star on March 25th confirmed by a judge.
It would be the first criminal trial of a former president in US history.
Three further criminal trials are being prepared, including on allegations of attempted election manipulation, and civil trials are also ongoing.
Just at the end of January, a jury in a second libel trial awarded 80-year-old author E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in compensation.
Trump's lawyers had announced that they wanted to appeal.
The 77-year-old Trump is considered the Republicans' most promising candidate in the upcoming presidential election in November.
He has often used his trials as election campaign events, which has already brought him into disputes with several judges.
dpa