$355 million verdict
Prosecutor sees “huge victory”, Trump “hoax”
February 17, 2024, 1:24 a.m
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While the ex-president is lashing out at the judge and the prosecutor in the trial he just lost, the latter seems extremely satisfied. She speaks of a success for “anyone who believes that we all have to follow the same rules.” The ex-president wants to go to the next instance.
After ordering a fine of around $355 million (around 330 million euros) against former US President Donald Trump, New York’s Attorney General Letitia James celebrated the decision as a “huge victory”. “Today justice has been served,” James said, according to the statement. “This is a huge victory for this state, for this country and for everyone who believes that we all have to play by the same rules – including former presidents.”
A few hours earlier, Judge Arthur Engoron had ordered Trump to pay a fine of around $355 million (around €330 million). In addition, the real estate entrepreneur was not allowed to run a company in New York state for three years, the 92-page paper said. Trump’s sons Eric and Donald Jr. each have to pay a fine of around four million dollars and are not allowed to run a company in New York state for two years. Attorney General James had originally called for Trump to be banned for life from running a company in New York state.
A round of trials for Trump
Trump, meanwhile, announced that he would appeal his conviction in a fraud trial in New York. The ex-president said this in front of his private estate Mar-a-Lago in the US state of Florida. Before his announcement that he would appeal, Trump described the verdict as a “complete and total fraud” on the online network he founded, Truth Social. He described Judge Engoron as “corrupt” and the responsible attorney general, Letitia James, as “completely corrupt”.
Trump has other problems with the judiciary. Among other things, he is accused in further criminal proceedings. Two charges concern the Republican’s attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and thus stay in power. Last month, Trump was ordered to pay $83.3 million in a civil defamation lawsuit against columnist E. Jean Carroll.