As of: February 23, 2024, 5:12 a.m
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Trump finally had to admit defeat in court.
The ex-president still doesn't want to pay the $350 million and is appealing.
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump's lawyers on Wednesday requested a one-month delay in enforcing the $350 million civil fraud judgment against the former president.
They said they had doubts about the attorney general's account.
Clifford S. Robert, a Trump lawyer, argued in a series of motions that lawyers from New York Attorney General Letitia James' office should have consulted the defense when drafting the sentence.
Trump's judges are trying to request a delay
Robert asked New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, who issued the verdict, to give the defense the opportunity to submit a proposed rebuttal.
Engoron noted in an email exchange with Robert that there was "no need for a motion or conference in this matter" because the attorney general's proposed sentence was consistent with the terms of his order.
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However, the judge asked Trump's side to raise specific objections to the proposed document.
Trump's lawyers cited two points that they said were incorrect.
They asked for more time so that they could evaluate the document and suggest further changes that they considered inaccurate.
It wasn't clear when Engoron would respond.
One thing is certain: Trump has to pay - even if he appeals
Engoron, who issued the 92-page civil fraud ruling on Friday, must sign off on the ruling, which would give Trump a month to appeal.
To begin the appeal process, Trump must either satisfy the judgment by paying or post bail.
A draft of the judgment filed by James' lawyers on Tuesday contains language consistent with Engoron's reasons for the ruling.
James' sentencing proposal also cites a statutory interest rate of 9 percent per year, which the attorney general says adds about $100 million in advance interest to Trump's bill.
Robert argued that the attorney general rushed the process and that Trump's side should have been included in the discussions about it.
In the event that Engoron signs the order proposed by James, he requested that no action be taken within 30 days.
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Former US President Donald Trump (center) is appealing a fine of $350 million.
© Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post
Trump has to sell a large part of his real estate in order to be able to pay the judgment
It was not immediately clear whether the 30 days required would extend the time Trump has under the law to post bail while he pursues his appeal.
Engoron's ruling means Trump will have to cover the court decision with a significant portion of his wealth, much of which is in real estate and other investments.
The judge also banned Trump and two of his sons from working as officers or directors at a New York company.
Trump is banned for three years, while Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are banned from such functions for two years.
Trump and his lawyers have described the case as politically motivated, brought by Democrat James, who was critical of Trump and floated an investigation into him when she ran for office.
He plans to appeal and has said the fraud allegations are unfounded.
Trump misrepresented his wealth - by as much as $2.2 billion
Engoron found that Trump, his company and several senior executives were responsible for defrauding banks and insurance companies.
For years, they misrepresented Trump's net worth in the financial statements prepared for them by accountants and reported false assets.
As part of his ruling, Engoron found that illegal acts had been committed.
James argued that Trump and his executives inflated his net worth by as much as $2.2 billion each year from 2011 to 2021.
Because Trump is the sole owner of the Trump Organization, banks and other business partners relied on this information, the judge said.
Trump's lawyers argued in the 10-week trial that began Oct. 2 that Trump did not mislead his business partners but that the valuation of commercial real estate is subjective and can vary greatly from the numbers in an appraisal.
Trump's properties have a higher value because of his fame and reputation, lawyers said.
About the author
Shayna Jacobs
is a federal courts and law enforcement reporter on the national security team at The Washington Post, where she covers the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
We are currently testing machine translations. This article was automatically translated from English into German.
This article was first published in English on February 22, 2024 at the “Washingtonpost.com” - as part of a cooperation, it is now also available in translation to readers of the IPPEN.MEDIA portals.