Trump was baked. The court lifted half a billion dollars a fine in a fraud case

On Thursday, the Court of Appeal in New York set aside the conviction of Donald Trump to half a billion dollars in the case of financial fraud, but did not discontinue the allegations lodged by the Prosecutor General of State, Letitia James, to overstatement of net assets for favorable credit conditions.

The court found the sentence excessive, but the decision was not unanimous. The appeal process remains in progress.

“Although the pity certainly occurred, it was not so catastrophic to justify the granting of almost half a billion dollars of compensation,” quotes the New York Times judge Peter Multon.

Advertisement

Despite the complexity of the case, the judgment of Thursday brought Trump a financial benefit and a partial grant of reasons, which the newspaper described as a defeat for Letitia James, one of the most decisive opponents of the president.

Trump announced a victory on social networks. He praised the court for “the courage to reject an unlawful and shameful decision.”

Alina Habba, a member of the Trump Defenders Team, currently acting as the Federal Prosecutor in New Jersey, stated that the ruling confirms the previous defense position: “the case of the general prosecutor (James) was politically motivated, unjustified legally and grossly exaggerated.”

“New York Times” noted that the court, when rejecting Trump's request for redemption, upheld the previous decision on his fraud, which the newspaper described as a shameful for the incumbent US president.

James filed a lawsuit against Trump and his family real estate company in 2022, accusing them of overstating the net assets for favorable loans. After a months of trial, the judge supervising the case found Trump guilty of fraud, which seriously hurt his image as a businessman and politician.

In response to the actions of James, the Ministry of Justice, headed by Trump, initiated a number of investigations against her, including her office.

According to the newspaper, the verdict was passed almost a year after hearing the oral arguments of the parties, which was an unusual delay, reflecting both legal and political complexity of the case against the incumbent president.

From New York Andrzej Dobrowolski (PAP)

AD/ MMS/