Former President Donald Trump has criticized a New York State Supreme Court judge for imposing a $355 million fine on him for his civil fraud trial. The judge ruled that Trump owes the state over $350 million in damages for decades of fraudulent business dealings, including grossly overstating his wealth to secure favorable business loans from banks and insurers.
Trump’s most egregious exaggerations included overvaluing his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida by 2,300% and claiming his Trump Tower penthouse was three times its actual size. Trump also issued a lengthy statement in response to the judgment, claiming the decision was a complete and total scam, with no victims, damages, or complaints.
Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., also released a statement on X, claiming bias by Judge Arthur Engoron. Both Trump Jr. and his brother Eric Trump were slapped with $4 million fines for their role in their father’s fraudulent business transactions. Trump lawyer Alina Habba described the ruling as part of a “multi-year, politically fueled witch hunt” and called for an appellate court to overturn the verdict. Engoron’s ruling was damning, stating that the Trump organisation was accused of inflating asset values to make more money.
