Thursday, December 26

N.Y. attorney general refuses to drop $486 million judgment against Trump

Donald Trump’s attempt to withdraw from her office’s $486 million civil fraud judgment against the president-elect has been denied by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In a letter to Trump lawyer John Sauer, a lawyer for James’ office stated, “This Office will not stipulate to vacate the final judgment” against Trump and his business “or otherwise seek to dismiss the action.”

Last month, Sauer had requested that James’ office voluntarily drop the issue, arguing that it would conflict with Trump’s presidential duties and that she should do so to foster “unity.”

A request for comment was not immediately answered by Sauer.

Judith Vale, the deputy state solicitor general, turned down the offer in a letter to Sauer that was made public on Tuesday. She pointed out that both parties had already submitted their arguments in full for Trump’s appeal of the ruling to the Appellate Division, First Department, a mid-level appeals court.

There’s “no merit to your claim that the pendency of defendants own appeal will impede Mr. Trump s official duties as President,” Vale stated.

“The defendants’ appeal to the First Department has been fully filed and debated, the trial is over, and the final judgment has been issued. While awaiting the First Department’s ruling, Mr. Trump’s official duties will not be hindered,” she continued.

Sauer’s assertion that the attorney general ought to follow the federal and state prosecutors’ lead in Trump’s criminal prosecutions was also disputed by Vale. Following Trump’s victory on November 5, Special Counsel Jack Smith abandoned his two cases against him, and the Manhattan district attorney’s office agreed to permanently postpone, but not drop, Trump’s sentencing on state felony charges.

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“The state Supreme Court did not impose any criminal sanctions on Mr. Trump or any other defendant, and this civil enforcement action is not a criminal proceeding. As a result, the different measures taken by the New York County District Attorney’s Office or the Special Counsel’s office in their own criminal prosecutions against Mr. Trump are not relevant in this instance,” the letter stated.

In February, following a month-long civil trial that featured testimony from Trump and his eldest children, Judge Arthur Engoron handed down a $350 million verdict against Trump, his corporation, and numerous top officials. The AG’s office stated that Trump is responsible for the majority of the $486 million, which has since increased to nearly $497 million adding pre-judgment interest.

The judge concluded that the AG had demonstrated that Trump and his executives had committed fraud on multiple occasions over a number of years, including by wildly inflating the company’s assets to obtain loans at lower interest rates than they otherwise would have been eligible for.

Trump claimed the prosecution was politically motivated since James is a Democrat and denied any wrongdoing. Trump selected Sauer to be the U.S. solicitor general, and in his letter, he said the results were also legally incorrect.

Vale refuted the assertion.

determination “overwhelming evidence supports Supreme Court s conclusion that Mr. Trump and the other defendants engaged in repeated and persistent fraud and illegality,” she stated.

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