timeThis week is likely to weigh heavily on the 45th president in the coming months and years. On Friday, New York Judge Arthur Engoron found Donald Trump and his businesses liable for the conspiracy and ordered them to pay $355 million. In addition, the court also banned Trump and his two adult sons from serving as heads of any New York companies for three years and fined the two sons $4 million.
In a 92-page decision, N’Golon also lambasted Trump’s pretensions to credibility. He has repeatedly accused Trump of being allergic to the truth.
“Donald Trump rarely responded to the questions raised, often interjecting long, irrelevant speeches on issues well beyond the scope of the trial,” the verdict reads. “He refused to answer questions directly or, in some cases, By simply refusing to answer questions, he severely damaged his credibility.”
He added that the court “preliminarily found that the defendants had a pattern of ongoing fraud and submitted false and misleading statements of financial condition on behalf of Donald Trump.”
A footnote in the legal ruling reads: “Peterson-Withorn, Chase. “Donald Trump has been lying about the size of his penthouse. “Forbes, May 3, 2017.”
Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 400 times during his testimony, according to records. “Anyone in my position who doesn’t accept the Fifth Amendment is a fool, an absolute fool,” he said. It’s a complete whole.
In a sense, Trump is having a smooth sail. A day earlier, Manhattan’s second judge, Juan Merchan, set Trump’s trial on state law felony charges to begin on March 25. “Stop disturbing me,” the judge scolded the defendant’s legal team.
Merchant also denied Trump’s motion to dismiss the 34-count indictment. Trump allegedly paid hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and adult model Karen McDougal, according to Manhattan prosecutors.
But Trump’s winning streak doesn’t end there. Last week, a U.S. appeals court rejected his claim for absolute immunity. The Court reminds us that the President of the United States is not a King.
“We cannot accept former President Trump’s assertion that the president has unlimited power to commit crimes that would negate the most basic constraints on executive power,” the unsigned but unanimous opinion reads.
“We cannot accept that the Office of the President has since continued to place its former incumbent above the law.”
Then again, the U.S. Supreme Court may freeze the case. We may know more next week.
Appeals are expensive. Trump also needs to guarantee or otherwise secure the massive verdict. Interest also accrues. No matter what, the other person must pay for his sin.
Ronna McDaniel was forced to resign as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, a sign that Trump intends to turn the Republican National Committee into a personal piggy bank. He faced off against Hillary Clinton in a largely self-funded 2016 primary campaign. His political committee has paid more than $50 million in legal fees, according to campaign finance filings.
The former reality TV host didn’t always have a ton of cash. “My net worth fluctuates,” Trump once vowed. “It goes up and down with markets, attitudes and feelings, even my own feelings.”
His casino went bankrupt and his company went bankrupt six times. The restructuring drained his borrowings. Trump University no longer exists.
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As of mid-2011, according to SEC filings first disclosed by The Guardian in 2016, he had more than $250 million in liquidity and a fortune of $4.2 billion. Last October, Forbes put his worth at $2.6 billion. He didn’t make the iconic 400 richest list. “He is not nearly as rich as he boasts, nor as poor as some critics claim.”
While his liquidity has increased, the value of his assets appears to have shrunk. “I had over 400 — quite a bit, over $400 million in cash,” he testified recently. These days, his judgment has hovered around $450 million.
The latest blow comes after E Jean Carroll was awarded $83.3 million in his second libel trial in January. Come November, the “Law and Order” candidate will become a adjudicated predator. Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over Carroll’s case, emphasized that Trump sexually assaulted her.
Guilty verdicts are a possibility in both hush money and election interference cases. Judging by the magnitude of the recent Carroll verdict, the Manhattan jury didn’t like him. A Washington, D.C., jury previously convicted Trump confidants Steve Bannon, Peter Navarro and Roger Stone. The defendant on January 6 also behaved poorly.
Trump later pardoned Bannon and Stone. He vowed to do the same for those who stormed the Capitol in his name.
Americans don’t like a convicted felon sitting in the Oval Office. Then again, they’re not dealing with the incumbent. On its own, Friday’s ruling will have no impact. On the other hand, swing voters could be off the hook if there were one or two criminal convictions.
A few days ago, Trump was furious with Letitia James and Ngolon. He accused the attorney general of being “corrupt,” the judge “biased” and the case “rigged.”
It’s been nearly ten years since he hosted The Apprentice. The former reality TV host sounded terrified. Welcome to real theater.
