Former President Donald Trump is none too happy about the nearly half-a-billion bond he needs to put up in his civil fraud case. And he’s making it known.
Trump took to his media site Truth Social Tuesday morning in a string of posts.
“Trump has posted seven times in the last two hours on Truth Social about his struggle to secure the half a billion for his bond, saying he shouldn’t have to put up money until after the appeal. “I would be forced to mortgage or sell Great Assets, perhaps at Fire Sale prices, and if and when I win the Appeal, they would be gone. Does that make sense?” he asks,” CNN’s Kaitlan Collins noted.
In his Feb. 16 ruling, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump lied for years about his wealth in order to secure favorable loans and make deals that helped prop up his real estate empire. He was ordered to pay $354.9 million in penalties plus nearly $100 million in interest.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the case, has said she would seek to seize some of the former president’s assets if he’s unable to cover the bill, though the appeal is likely to halt collection of his penalty while the process plays out.
Trump has denied wrongdoing. His lawyers had been seeking to delay the filing after wrangling with state lawyers and the judge over what that paperwork should say.
Making matters worse, beginning last month the interest on Trump’s penalty will increase to $111,984 per day, rather than the $87,502 per day he had owed before the verdict was made official. That’s because post-judgment interest is calculated on the total judgment — the underlying $355 million penalty, plus the nearly $100 million he racked up in pre-judgment interest.
“Any business thinking about moving into New York State is CRAZY! The level of anger and hostility toward businesses and business people is incredible. Numerous people have spoken to me about this since the Racist and Politically Corrupt A.G., who ran for office on a platform of “I will get Trump” without knowing anything about me or my business, and her corrupt puppet Judge, Arthur Engoron, who has already been overturned 4 times on this case, a record, started doing a number on me. Engoron laughed with disdain at the Appellate Division, his superior court, when they handed down a decision which essentially ended most of the case, and he REFUSED TO ABIDE BY IT. This is the first time something like that has ever happened in New York State. He is a Crazed, Trump Hating, Rogue Judge, has ZERO respect for the Appellate Judges, and has torn apart the Legal System in New York State, making it impossible for outside businesses to want to come there. Existing businesses will flee!!!” Trump said in one.
“Engoron wants me to put up the ridiculous fine (I DID NOTHING WRONG!) before I get a chance to Appeal his crazed ruling - A first!” Trump said in another.
“Judge Engoron actually wants me to put up Hundreds of Millions of Dollars for the Right to Appeal his ridiculous decision. In other words, he is trying to take my Appellate Rights away from me when I have already won at the Appellate Division, but he refuses to accept their already made decision. Nobody has ever heard of anything like this before. I would be forced to mortgage or sell Great Assets, perhaps at Fire Sale prices, and if and when I win the Appeal, they would be gone. Does that make sense? WITCH HUNT. ELECTION INTERFERENCE!” Trump posted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.
