A New York appeals court is set to hear arguments on September 26 regarding Donald Trump’s appeal of the $454 million civil judgment against him. With the hearing scheduled so close to Election Day, a final decision may not be reached until after the elections.
Trump is challenging Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling, which found him liable for fraud and imposed a $354 million penalty, plus over $100 million in interest. The former president argues that the judgment is unconstitutional, that no real harm occurred, and that the case should be dismissed due to the age of the alleged conduct.
In April, Trump posted a $175 million bond after the appeals court reduced the amount, temporarily halting any actions by New York Attorney General Letitia James to seize his properties or bank accounts. On Wednesday night, the Attorney General’s office urged the appeals court to uphold Engoron’s verdict, which also implicated Trump’s adult sons and other associates in the fraud case.
The AG’s office argued there is “overwhelming evidence” that Trump inflated property values on financial statements to secure loans. The filing from the Attorney General’s office criticized Trump’s appeal for lacking a thorough discussion of the deceptive practices used to inflate asset values. Instead, they claimed the appeal focuses on weak legal arguments and is contrary to established law.
“Supreme Court’s liability determinations are supported by overwhelming evidence that, in each Statement, defendants used a variety of deceptive strategies to vastly misrepresent the values of Mr. Trump’s assets,” the AG’s office stated.
Trump’s legal team counters that the AG failed to prove lenders relied on these misrepresentations and that no financial losses resulted from the alleged fraud. They also argued that the judgment includes loans beyond the statute of limitations and improperly counts profits from property sales.
The Attorney General’s office defended the initial judgment as a “reasonable estimate” of the gains Trump obtained through fraud. They also pointed to Trump’s Florida estate, Mar-A-Lago, as an example of the inflated valuations in his financial statements, which was supported by the judge’s findings.
As the legal battle continues, it remains to be seen how the court will rule and how this case might impact the upcoming elections.
