Donald Trump posts $175 million bail in civil fraud case

Donald Trump has posted $175 million bail in his New York civil fraud case, avoiding state authorities from seizing assets that could have hobbled his business empire.

On February 16, the former US president was found liable for fraudulently inflating his net worth by billions of dollars to secure better loan and insurance terms.

He was originally required to post bail of $454 million, but the appeals court on March 25 stayed Judge Arthur Engoron’s sentence on the condition that Trump pay a smaller amount within 10 days.

A three-judge panel of the appeals court will hear Trump’s appeal on the merits.

The bond prevents New York Attorney General Letitia James from going after Trump’s properties, including Trump Tower, his 370-acre resort and golf course in Westchester and his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida Manor (Mar-a-Lago).

Trump has denied wrongdoing and said the case was a witch hunt by James, a Democrat who sued him in 2022.

In a 92-page order, Judge Ngoren described how Trump directed representatives to change the value of his properties in the decade before entering politics to achieve his desired net worth.

Separately, a court ruled on Monday that Trump must stop verbally attacking the family and others of a New York judge during his upcoming trial on charges that he paid hush money to a porn star.

“All citizens who are called upon to participate in these proceedings, whether as jurors, witnesses or in other capacities, must now be concerned not only about their own personal safety, but also the safety and possibility of physical assault on their loved ones. This reality cannot be overstated,” Juan Melchan said in the expanded gag order.

New York prosecutors argued that Trump was trying to scare potential witnesses and urged Murchin to make clear that his existing gag order, which prohibits Trump from publicly commenting on witnesses and court staff, also applies to family members.

They were responding to Trump’s March 28 social media post in which he called Mocha’s daughter a “rabid Trump hater” and called for the judge to be removed from office. dismissed in the case.

Trump is scheduled to go on trial starting April 15 in a New York state court in Manhattan on charges of concealing a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election in exchange for her keeping quiet about an alleged sexual encounter. silence.

Trump has pleaded not guilty.

He has also been accused in two cases of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden and in another case of handling classified documents after leaving office.

The cases have been mired in delays and may not go to trial before the November election.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in all those cases.

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