A New York appeals court on Thursday dismissed an over $500 million civil business fraud fine imposed against President Donald Trump, who quickly claimed “total victory” over the case brought by state Attorney General Letitia James.
The court ruled that the monetary penalty ordered by the trial judge against the Trump Organization was “an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution,” which protects individuals from excessive or cruel punishments by the government.
A Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron ordered President Trump to pay around $454 million in total penalties after finding him liable for business fraud, which how now grown to over half-a-billion dollars with interest. The judge found that Trump’s financial statements between 2014 and 2021 overvalued his company’s assets.
Thursday’s decision was not unanimous, but by throwing out the penalty, the case in the hands of the appellate courts, as James, who brought the civil action under her state’s executive law, will likely appeal. The Trump Department of Justice is actively investigating James for raising the case initially.
Trump responded to the decision in a lengthy post to Truth Social, calling the dismissal a “total victory.” He also called the case “fake” and referred to Engoron as “the Corrupt Judge” and a “Political Hack.”
“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,” the president wrote. “It was a Political Witch Hunt, in a business sense, the likes of which no one has ever seen before. This was a Case of Election Interference by the City and State trying to show, illegally, that I did things that were wrong when, in fact, everything I did was absolutely CORRECT and, even, PERFECT.”
“Letitia James, a Corrupt and Incompetent Attorney General who only brought this Case in order to hurt me politically,” he added. “She is a Trump Deranged Lunatic! They made me bond the outrageous sum, which never happened before, and which cost me Millions of Dollars a month. It should have never been allowed to happen, and everyone knew it!”
He also incorrectly noted that the decision was 5-0 when it was in fact a split decision.
