President Donald Trump celebrated a major legal win Aug. 21 after a New York appeals court overturned a $500 million penalty in a civil fraud case that Attorney General Letitia James brought in 2022.
The Appellate Division, First Department, ruled the fine “excessive” and a violation of the Constitution’s ban on unfair punishments, according to court documents. The penalty was originally set at $464 million and later increased to more than $515 million, including interest, according to The New York Post.
The penalty had been the centerpiece of James’ lawsuit accusing Trump of inflating his net worth on financial statements to secure better loan and insurance deals.
In the main opinion, judges Dianne T. Renwick and Peter H. Moulton wrote that forcing Trump and his company to 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.”
Trump quickly declared the decision a “TOTAL VICTORY” in an Aug. 21 lengthy Truth Social post, adding that James’ lawsuit was a “Political Witch Hunt.”
“TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case!” Trump said. “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.”
“All of these Judges should be ashamed of themselves for allowing them to happen,” he added. “They are Political Hacks who did everything possible to hurt me as a Candidate. This was an attack by the Biden/Harris Administration on their Political Opponent, ME.”
Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, said the ruling confirmed the case was “politically motivated, legally baseless, and grossly excessive,” in an Aug. 21 statement on X.
Still, the panel left other penalties in place. Trump and his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump remain barred from running businesses in New York for several years. An independent monitor will also continue overseeing the Trump Organization Inc.’s operations for three years, court documents said.
The five-judge panel was split, with two backing the trial court’s findings, two favoring a new trial, and one calling for a dismissal of the case, The Hill reported. With no majority, the case can now advance to the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court.
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Author: Elise Winland
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