The New York Attorney General’s Office has rejected a demand from President-elect Donald Trump to drop the , $480 million civil business fraud case against him.
NY Attorney General Letitia James had been urged by Trump defense attorney John Sauer in a Nov. 26 letter to dismiss the case “for the health of our Republic.” Sauer wrote: “President Trump has called for our Nation’s partisan strife to end, and for the contending factions to join forces for the greater good of the country. This call for unity extends to the legal onslaught against him and his family that permeated the most recent election cycle.”
Sauer had argued that the continuation of the case will impede Trump from carrying out his presidential duties. However in a two-page letter, Deputy Solicitor General Judith Vale responded that “this Office will not stipulate to vacate the final judgment already entered by Supreme Court, New York County, in this action or otherwise seek to dismiss the action.” Vale added that there is “no merit” to Sauer’s claims, and that Trump’s upcoming inauguration “has no bearing” on the outcome of the trial or his ongoing efforts to challenge the judgment, saying: “Presidents do not have immunity from civil lawsuits arising from unofficial conduct, and such lawsuits may proceed while the President is in office. This civil enforcement action is not a criminal action, and [Manhattan] Supreme Court did not impose any criminal sanction on Mr. Trump or any other defendant.”
The civil case was brought by AG James in 2022, and accuses Trump, his two adult sons, his business and key executives within it of falsely inflating Trump’s assets to boost his stated net worth and obtain financial perks. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron found Trump liable for fraud and held a bench trial to determine penalties in February, ordering Trump to pay more than $450 million in fines and interest. That penalty included millions of dollars in prejudgment interest that will accrue by $111,983 every day until it is paid, with Trump’s total judgment and interest totaling more than $486 million.
A New York appeals court in March reduced the bond amount to $175 million; the appeals court has yet to issue a decision.
Editorial credit: Steve Sanchez Photos / Shutterstock.com