Judge issues ruling in Trump New York civil fraud case

Former President Donald Trump must pay more than $350 million in fines, according to a ruling by Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron on Friday. New York Attorney General Letitia James had alleged that Trump persistently inflated his net worth on paperwork used in making business deals. She had requested that he pay $370 million in fines.

Hasn’t the judge already ruled? Engoron had found before the trial started that Trump and his company had inflated his net worth by billions of dollars for years on paperwork used in business deals. The trial proceeded even after Engoron’s ruling, to determine his liability on six other claims and the amount Trump had to pay in fines. Engoron has already revoked Trump and his Trump Organization’s license to conduct business in New York and commanded the dissolution of the company’s business entities. Trump has appealed Engoron’s dissolution order, and it remains on hold.

Will Trump appeal this verdict? Trump’s lawyers will likely appeal the verdict. Trump has lambasted the trial outside the courtroom, saying it is a political prosecution. He denies wrongdoing and says that business and banking experts also believe he did nothing wrong.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’s report in Vitals about young pro-life voters’ fondness for Trump.