Appeals Court Judge Says Trump Must Pay Full $454 Million During Appeal of Fraud Case

By Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News (via TNS).

Former President Donald Trump must fork over upward of $454 million as he appeals the devastating judgment in his fraud case, a New York appeals court judge ruled Wednesday — hours after the former president asked to pay a quarter of it to save him from selling off his prized properties.

Justice Anil Singh of the midlevel 1st Department Court of Appeals denied Trump’s request to halt payment but temporarily put other portions of the ruling on ice, including a three-year ban on Trump running a business in his native New York or applying for loans there for three years.

The judge also temporarily lifted a two-year industry ban against Eric and Don Jr. and a permanent ban against former Trump Organization execs Allen Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney.

Trump and his crew have until around March 25 to settle up with cash or bond — the day his first criminal trial kicks off in Manhattan Supreme Court in the Stormy Daniels hush money case, in which he’s pleaded not guilty to 34 felonies. Every day he doesn’t pay his share of the judgment, Trump owes around $112,000 more in interest.

Singh’s order will remain in effect until he and his colleagues consider further arguments.

Earlier Wednesday, the GOP front-runner asked the court to halt enforcement of Judge Arthur Engoron’s Feb. 16 judgment while he tries to get it tossed, which typically requires a defendant to put up all the cash owed within 30 days or post a bond.

Attorneys for Trump and his company executives argued they couldn’t put down the total amount while being barred from taking out loans. They said Trump would deposit a $100 million bond, arguing it would be sufficient paired with ongoing oversight by a court-appointed monitor.

Requiring Trump to satisfy the judgment in full as he appeals, his lawyers argued, would lead to “irreparable harm” and likely force him to sell off properties without any guarantee he’d get them back if he wins.

“Simply put, Appellants would be unable to recover the value of that which was taken by the court and the Attorney General during the pendency of the appeal,” they wrote.

Trump’s lawyers, who filed their notices of appeal on Monday, described the penalties handed down by Engoron as “draconian” measures impeding “a global real estate empire in the conduct of lawful business.”

State Attorney General Letitia James’ office opposed the request. In addition to court docs filed Tuesday, the two sides hashed out their arguments in a last-minute hearing before Singh on Wednesday afternoon.

The AG’s office said Trump and company shouldn’t get anything shaved off the sum and noted they hadn’t indicated any effort to secure a bond.

“There is substantial risk that defendants will attempt to evade enforcement of the judgment (or make enforcement more difficult) following appeal,” Assistant Solicitor General Dennis Fan argued in filings Wednesday, alleging that Trump Organization entities based in New York had been relocated to Florida since Engoron’s decision.

“As the court recognized earlier in this case, there is unfortunately a distinct need to ‘ensure that defendants do not dissipate their assets or transfer them out of this jurisdiction.’”

Following an almost three-month trial, Engoron determined Trump and his top executives at the Trump Organization were liable for multiple fraud claims in James’ September 2022 case, finding they intentionally lied about his net worth for years to secure better terms in business deals. Engoron ordered them to collectively pay the AG $564 million with interest — mainly affecting Trump.

Fan said the AG’s office was further worried about Trump’s other debts — noting he still has to pay writer E. Jean Carroll, whom a jury in January determined he owed $83.3 million for defaming her, on top of $5 million he was ordered to pay her last year for a 1990s sexual assault.

James has said she won’t hesitate to send the sheriff to collect Trump’s namesake assets if he fails to pay his debts.

Earlier Wednesday, a court officer discovered an envelope addressed to Engoron filled with white powder at the 60 Centre St. courthouse.

Courts spokesman Al Baker said Engoron didn’t come into contact with the powder determined to be nonhazardous and that an investigation was ongoing.

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