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Trump civil fraud case: Judge fines Trump $354 million, says frauds 'shock the conscience'

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump sits in New York State Supreme Court during his civil fraud trial, on Jan. 11, 2024, in New York.
21:24
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images, FILE
Donald Trump ordered to pay $354 million fine in civil fraud trial
By Peter Charalambous, Aaron Katersky
Last Updated: January 11, 2024, 8:40 PM

Former President Donald Trump has been fined $354.8 million plus approximately $100 million in interest in a civil fraud lawsuit that could alter the personal fortune and real estate empire that helped propel him to the White House. In the decision, Judge Arthur Engoron excoriated Trump, saying the president's credibility was "severely compromised," that the frauds "shock the conscience" and that Trump and his co-defendants showed a "complete lack of contrition and remorse" that he said "borders on pathological."

MORE: After his latest court ruling, Trump could now face $540 million in fines. Does he have the money to pay?

Engoron also hit Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump with $4 million fines and barred all three from helming New York companies for years. New York Attorney General Letitia James accused Trump and his adult sons of engaging in a decade-long scheme in which they used "numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation" to inflate Trump's net worth in order get more favorable loan terms. The former president has denied all wrongdoing and has said he will appeal.

Top headlines:

  • Judge fines Trump $354 million
  • Trump, ignoring judge's warning, tells court he's an 'innocent man'
  • Trump, after testifying, fined $10,000 for violating gag order
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Pinned
Feb 16, 2024 9:07 PM

Summary of penalties

Donald Trump and his adult sons were hit with millions in fines in the civil fraud trial and barred for years from being officers in New York companies. The judge said the frauds "shock the conscience."

Donald Trump: $354 million fine + approx. $100 million in interest
+ barred for 3 years from serving as officer of NY company
Donald Trump Jr.: $4 million fine
+ barred for 2 years from serving as officer of NY company
Eric Trump: $4 million fine
+ barred for 2 years from serving as officer of NY company
Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg: $1 million fine
+ barred for 3 years from serving as officer of NY company
+ barred for life from financial management role in NY company
Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney:
+ barred for 3 years from serving as officer of NY company
+ barred for life from financial management role in NY company


Pinned
Oct 16, 2023 9:23 PM

Trump Hotels chief accounting officer concludes testimony

State attorney Andrew Amer concluded his direct examination of Trump Hotels chief accounting officer Mark Hawthorn by applauding Hawthorn's skills and experience.

Amer highlighted that Hawthorn successfully conducted cash flow analysis, understood estimated current value, and applied the generally accepted accounting principles to his work.

Asked by Amer if he was ever asked to work on Trump's statement of financial condition -- a job that was handled by other executives like CFO Allen Weisselberg and controller Jeffrey McConney, who in earlier testimony acknowledged their lack of knowledge regarding foundational accounting principles -- Hawthorn replied that he was never approached about the task.

"I would be qualified to give it a try," said Hawthorn.

Hawthorn then stepped down from the witness stand to make way for Trump Organization assistant controller Donna Kidder to begin her testimony, after which court was adjourned for the day.

Kidder's testimony is scheduled to resume tomorrow morning, when former President Trump is expected to return to the courtroom.


Jan 11, 2024 8:40 PM

'Cash crunch' drove Trump to fraud, state alleges

The competing obligations between the costs of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and his business obligations created a "cash crunch" at the Trump Organization that motivated the former president to commit fraud, state attorney Kevin Wallace argued during his summation.

Wallace's theory about the motivation for the alleged fraud, which he articulated for the first time, attempted to explain Trump's motive for the alleged conduct as well as justify levying a fine against Trump in order to regulate the marketplace.

According to Wallace, the hundreds of millions of dollars saved by the Trump Organization through fraud allowed the company to "stay afloat" during a major "cash crunch" during the 2010s.

During the first half of the decade, the Trump Organization spent roughly $775 million to renovate properties including its Doral and Turnberry golf courses, as well as the Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C., Wallace said. The idea that the company could have funded these expenses with cash alone was a "fantasy," according to Wallace.

PHOTO: Lawyer Kevin Wallace gives closing arguments in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court in New York, on Jan. 11, 2024, in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Lawyer Kevin Wallace gives closing arguments in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court in New York, on Jan. 11, 2024, in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

"By the time you get to 2017, Mr. Trump was becoming president, and the company was getting low on cash," Wallace said. Faced with the chance of a negative cash flow, the company opted to embrace fraud, according to Wallace.

"They didn't have to choose between their priorities," Wallace said about the company's business expenses and Trump's presidential campaign.

Trump attorney Chris Kise objected to the argument, suggesting the theory was nothing more than conjecture -- which prompted a heated exchange with Wallace.

"Chris. Stop. We didn't interrupt the defendants' presentation at all," Wallace shouted while facing Kise.

"I think I agree with Mr. Kise," Judge Engoron responded, but he allowed the presentation to continue.


Jan 11, 2024 8:05 PM

State attorney says defense provided 'no new facts'

"We're back to hearing the same arguments," Kevin Wallace, an attorney with the New York state AG's office, began his closing statement following closing arguments from Trump's defense team.

"Donald Trump is rich, banks like rich people," Wallace said. "What we have not heard from defendants is any new facts."

Wallace said the defense failed to assert that any of the alleged fraud was a mistake, other than the overvaluation of the Trump Tower penthouse, and that the defense did not argue the numbers Trump used on his statements of financial condition were accurate.

"If you look at it across time, it becomes clear that fraud was central to the operation of the Trump Organization's business," Wallace said.

Wallace took aim at the testimony of defense expert witnesses, calling them a "murderer's row of experts" who Trump collectively paid at least $2.5 million.

"None of the experts actually presented evidence that is helpful to the court as a fact-finder," Wallace claimed.

PHOTO: Closing arguments in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial, in New York
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Judge Arthur Engoron listens as lawyer Chris Kise gives closing arguments in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., January 11, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

Defense attorney Chris Kise stood up to interject, calling Wallace's murderer's row reference "outrageous." Wallace joked he was referring to the 1927 Yankees.


Jan 11, 2024 6:48 PM

Trump, outside court, says 'it's been a pretty successful trial'

Moments after delivering his closing statement, Donald Trump exited the courtroom to criticize the trial as politically motivated.

"This is a political witch hunt the likes of which nobody's ever seen before. They owe me damages for what they've done," Trump said, repeating his claim that the case against him would scare businesses away from New York.

Nevertheless, the former president appeared pleased with his defense.

"It's been a pretty successful trial," said. "I don't know that we're going get a fair ruling. But everybody knows what I just said -- this is a sham and it's a shame," Trump said.

With the defense team's closings concluded, the state's closing is scheduled to begin following a break.



Jan 11, 2024 6:34 PM

'Not how this should have been done,' judge says of Trump statement

Judge Engoron mostly kept his head down for the duration of Donald Trump's closing summation, which Trump delivered from his seat at the defense counsel table.

"This is not how this should have been done," Engoron said seconds before Trump launched into his statement, which contained several accusations that Engonron had tried to prohibit Trump from making.

Calling the state attorneys "disgraceful" and the statute used against him "vicious," Trump repeated many of his lawyer's claims before arguing that he is the only victim of fraud in the case.

Trump also criticized Engoron himself, claiming that the judge would not listen to him.

"You can't listen for one minute," Trump said.

"Mr. Kise please control your client," Engoron said while attempting to reign in Trump. But Trump continued.

"I did nothing wrong. They should pay me for what we had to go through," Trump said. "She sued me to try to get publicity," he said of New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Engoron then held up his phone screen to signal to Trump that he had run out of time for his remarks, then the judge called for a break.


Oct 16, 2023 9:23 PM

Trump Hotels chief accounting officer concludes testimony

State attorney Andrew Amer concluded his direct examination of Trump Hotels chief accounting officer Mark Hawthorn by applauding Hawthorn's skills and experience.

Amer highlighted that Hawthorn successfully conducted cash flow analysis, understood estimated current value, and applied the generally accepted accounting principles to his work.

Asked by Amer if he was ever asked to work on Trump's statement of financial condition -- a job that was handled by other executives like CFO Allen Weisselberg and controller Jeffrey McConney, who in earlier testimony acknowledged their lack of knowledge regarding foundational accounting principles -- Hawthorn replied that he was never approached about the task.

"I would be qualified to give it a try," said Hawthorn.

Hawthorn then stepped down from the witness stand to make way for Trump Organization assistant controller Donna Kidder to begin her testimony, after which court was adjourned for the day.

Kidder's testimony is scheduled to resume tomorrow morning, when former President Trump is expected to return to the courtroom.


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