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Donald Trump, the previous president, strongly criticized the ruling in his civil fraud trial in New York. He baselessly accused the judge who ruled against him of conspiring with the state government to sabotage his election campaign.
On Friday, Judge Arthur Engoron declared that Mr. Trump, his relatives, and their extensive property company are obligated to pay approximately $464 million for engaging in deceitful business practices.
On his social media platform Truth Social, the ex-president made multiple posts that afternoon, labeling the ruling as a “witch hunt” and accusing it of being a type of “election interference”. He also referred to Mr. Engoron as “corrupt”.
He gave a rambling speech from the stairs of his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, in which he claimed that there was no fraud and strangely boasted about submitting “one of the most impressive financial statements” ever.
He claimed that he was being penalized for creating a flawless company with excellent finances, facilities, and overall success. However, he provided no proof to support his accusations of corrupt court practices.
See Trump’s angry reaction to receiving a $350 penalty for unlawful business practices.
“This game is being played by both Russia and China… it’s a politically motivated attack against an opponent unlike anything our country has experienced before,” stated Mr. Trump. “Such tactics are typically seen in third world countries or banana republics, not in our own.”
He promised to challenge the “absurd” decision, which mandates him to reimburse a total of $355 million plus an additional $100 million in accrued interest.
“ELECTION INTERFERENCE. WITCH HUNT,” he said, calling the decision a case of “shocking and corrupt interference in the free market for political gain” and a “complete and total sham”.
The ex-president asserted that there were no individuals affected, losses incurred, or grievances filed as a result of the lengthy financial deceit he participated in.
Instead, he stated that it met the expectations of banks and insurance companies – a fact that was emphasized by Mr. Trump’s lawyers during the trial.
His remarks made on Friday were consistent with his long track record of criticizing Mr. Engoron and New York’s attorney general, Letitia James. Despite being reprimanded by the judge during the trial, he continued to attack them.
Over the course of several months, Mr. Engoron listened to testimonies and examined evidence pertaining to the case that was initiated by Ms. James’s office a couple of years ago.
In the end, he declared that the accusations against Mr. Trump’s company had been repeatedly verified. He stated that the defendants had demonstrated a total absence of regret and repentance that could be considered pathological.
On Friday, February 16, 2024 at 5:24pm Pacific Time, this article was revised to include information about Mr. Trump’s press conference at Mar-a-Lago.
Source: independent.co.uk
