President Donald Trump and the MAGA sphere are gleefully celebrating a New York appeals court ruling tossing out a massive multi-million-dollar civil fraud penalty against the President in a case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
A sharply divided five-judge panel of the Appellate Division in Manhattan narrowly upheld Justice Arthur Engoron’s decision that Trump engaged in fraud by inflating his wealth for decades, according to The Associated Press, but they called the original $315 million fine “excessive” and one “that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution.”
“While the injunctive relief ordered by the court is well crafted to curb defendants’ business culture, the court’s disgorgement order, which directs that defendants pay nearly half a billion dollars to the State of New York, is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution,” two of the five judges wrote in in one of three opinions issued by the panel.
But the excessive fine is about the only thing all the justices agreed on.
The $315 million penalty had ballooned to $515 million with interest, and with other penalties against several Trump Organization executives and Don Jr. and Eric Trump, the total is around $527 million.
The ruling means Trump won’t have to pay the potential half-billion-dollar fine, but it still prevents him and his sons, Don Jr. and Eric Trump from running the business for a few years.
James said in a statement that the state still won a partial victory because the court had “affirmed the well-supported finding of the trial court: Donald Trump, his company, and two of his children are liable for fraud.”
“It should not be lost to history: yet another court has ruled that the president violated the law, and that our case has merit,” James said.
Trump, meantime was of course claiming “total victory” in a post on social media.
“TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case!” Trump boasted.
“I greatly respect the fact that the Court had the Courage to throw out this unlawful and disgraceful Decision that was hurting Business all throughout New York State. Others were afraid to do business there,” Trump bragged, but the court did not throw out the decision just the huge penalty.
The ruling is definitely a disappointment for Trump opponents and James who brought the civil fraud lawsuit against Trump, his two oldest sons and former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg in 2022. Weisselberg separately pleaded guilty in two criminal cases, one for charges of tax fraud in connection with his employment and another for perjury in his testimony in James’ civil case against the Trump Organization.
Trump’s MAGA supporters erupted in joy over the ruling, claiming it exonerated their dear leader from wrongdoing, which it did not, and laid into James.
“Oops,” Bryan Hammond elatedly posted on X with a photo of James dressed in orange prison garb.
“A New York court, with justice stern, Gave ‘ol big Tish a nice slick burn, Trump won again, a massive feat, Tables turned, her loss complete!” this poetic Trump supporter bragged on X.
“Guess they can’t keep calling him a felon,” someone erroneously posted on X.
“Different case,” another user responded. Another quickly added, “Wrong!”
But there’s so many civil and criminal cases against Trump, it’s hard to keep them straight.
“This was about the civil fraud case regarding Trump allegedly receiving better loan terms from overvaluing his properties. The 34 felony case still stands. For now,” still another X user corrected.
“Note, the fines were found to be excessive for that I agree. He was not absolved of the charges laid,” Island Girl pointed out on X.
“No no.. still a felon and for that matter a proven sexual assaulter.. aka Rapist,” this X poster said.
The steep penalty against Trump and his sons ordered by Engoron came after a three-month non-jury trial in state court in Manhattan.
As part of the appeal, Trump claimed he did nothing wrong. His attorneys contended the judge had overreached and that the penalty was too high.
The state can still appeal this ruling to New York State Appeals Court, but it’s unclear if it will.
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