Trump and Company File Appeal Against $354 Million Civil Fraud Judgment in New York Court

New York City, New York United States of America
Donald Trump and his company have filed an appeal against a civil fraud judgment in the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division.
The appeal argues that several loans cited by prosecutors should not have been considered in the case and that James seeks to unwind and penalize complex, successful transactions with Wall Street banks.
The judgment, which was handed down by Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron in February 2024, found Trump and his organization liable for business fraud.
The lawsuit against Trump and his business was filed in 2022, alleging they lied on financial statements to make more money.
Trump's lawyers claimed that the financial statements were private transactions and that every loan payment was made on time and all loans were repaid in full.
Trump was barred from running any New York company for three years, and his sons Donald Jr. and Eric were prohibited from running any business in New York for two years.
Trump and Company File Appeal Against $354 Million Civil Fraud Judgment in New York Court

In a recent development, Donald Trump and his company have filed an appeal against a civil fraud judgment in the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division. The judgment, which was handed down by Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron in February 2024, found Trump and his organization liable for business fraud.

The appeal argues that several loans cited by prosecutors should not have been considered in the case and that James seeks to unwind and penalize complex, successful transactions with Wall Street banks. The judgment currently stands at $354 million, with interest continuing to accrue.

Trump was barred from running any New York company for three years, and his sons Donald Jr. and Eric were prohibited from running any business in New York for two years. The lawsuit against Trump and his business was filed in 2022, alleging they lied on financial statements to make more money.

Trump's lawyers claimed that the financial statements were private transactions and that every loan payment was made on time and all loans were repaid in full. They also argued that applying the correct statute of limitations would eliminate $350,980,057 of the $464,576,229 judgment.

The appeal comes after a lengthy trial during which Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron oversaw proceedings and found Trump and his business liable for civil fraud. The case was brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who hailed the victory as demonstrating that 'everyone must play by the same rules.'

Trump has criticized the case and the civil judgment, insisting he did nothing wrong. James has said that Trump cheated the system by intentionally inflating his net worth by billions of dollars and that she is committed to protecting the integrity of the marketplace.

The appeal will be heard in New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, with oral arguments scheduled for a later date.



Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • Are there any potential conflicts of interest or political motivations influencing this case?
  • How accurate are the claims made by Trump's lawyers regarding the financial statements and loan repayments?
  • Is there a possibility that the appeal will be successful in reducing or overturning the judgment?

Sources

91%

  • Unique Points
    • Donald Trump and his company were found liable for business fraud in a civil fraud judgment in February.
    • Trump’s lawyers appealed the judgment, claiming it was based on unauthorized and unprecedented power-grab by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
    • The appeal argues that several loans cited by prosecutors should not have been considered in the case and that James seeks to unwind and penalize complex, successful transactions with Wall Street banks.
    • Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump and the Trump Organization to pay a $354 million penalty. The judgment continues to accrue interest.
    • Trump was barred from running any New York company for three years, and his sons Donald Jr. and Eric were prohibited from running any business in New York for two years.
    • The lawsuit against Trump and his business was filed in 2022, alleging they lied on financial statements to make more money.
    • Trump’s lawyers claimed that the financial statements were private transactions and that every loan payment was made on time and all loans were repaid in full.
    • The appeal argues that applying the correct statute of limitations would eliminate $350,980,057 of the $464,576,229 judgment.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (70%)
    The article contains selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The author quotes the Attorney General's statements without providing context or counterargument, implying that her statements are factual and true without question. Additionally, the author only reports details that support the Attorney General's position and omits information that would contradict it or provide context for Trump's actions. For example, the article does not mention that Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has criticized the case as politically motivated.
    • The judgment, which was at $464 million as of late February, continues to accrue interest.
    • And for years, Donald Trump engaged in deceptive business practices and tremendous fraud.
    • We have a responsibility to protect the integrity of the marketplace.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority fallacy by quoting Letitia James stating 'everyone must play by the same rules' and 'We have a responsibility to protect the integrity of the marketplace.' These statements are used as evidence of wrongdoing on Trump's part, but they do not provide any logical reasoning or proof that Trump committed fraud. Additionally, there is an example of inflammatory rhetoric when James is quoted as saying 'And for years, Donald Trump engaged in deceptive business practices and tremendous fraud.' This statement goes beyond the facts presented in the article and expresses a strong opinion.
    • ]We have a responsibility to protect the integrity of the marketplace[
    • And for years, Donald Trump engaged in deceptive business practices and tremendous fraud.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

88%

  • Unique Points
    • Donald Trump has appealed a $450 million verdict against him in the New York attorney general's civil business fraud case.
    • The case involved deception of lenders and insurance companies by inflating the value of Trump’s properties and other assets to get better interest rates and lower insurance costs.
    • Two of Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, were brought into the matter as defendants and were barred from serving as officers or directors of a company in New York for two years.
    • Trump was barred from applying for new loans from financial institutions chartered or registered in New York.
  • Accuracy
    • Donald Trump has appealed a $450 million verdict against him in the New York attorney general’s civil business fraud case.
    • Trump argues that the judge ignored a pretrial ruling that would have eliminated significant parts of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case on statute of limitations grounds.
    • The appeal argues that several loans cited by prosecutors should not have been considered in the case and that James seeks to unwind and penalize complex, successful transactions with Wall Street banks.
    • Trump was barred from running any New York company for three years, and his sons Donald Jr. and Eric were prohibited from running any business in New York for two years.
  • Deception (75%)
    The article by Shayna Jacobs does not contain any outright lies or deception. However, there are several instances of emotional manipulation and sensationalism that could be misleading to readers. The author uses phrases such as 'cheating business partners', 'illegal acts', and 'draconian, unlawful, and unconstitutional penalties' to create a negative impression of Trump and his actions. Additionally, the article focuses heavily on Trump's legal troubles and uses sensational language to describe them. This could lead readers to believe that Trump is guilty of wrongdoing before all the facts have been presented.
    • Trump has appealed a $450 million verdict against him in the New York attorney general’s civil business fraud case in which a judge found that the GOP presidential nominee was responsible for a decade’s worth of cheating business partners.
  • Fallacies (75%)
    The article contains some inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority, but no formal or informal fallacies were identified. The author makes statements about the motivations of the New York attorney general without evidence, which could be seen as an ad hominem attack. Additionally, there are examples of inflammatory language used to describe Trump's actions and legal battles.
    • This appeal seeks reversal of the trial court's legally bereft decisions which ignored the undisputed facts, refused to follow the binding mandate of the Appellate Division, imposed draconian, unlawful, and unconstitutional penalties, and willingly allowed a reckless, politically motivated Attorney General to meddle in lawful, private, and mutually profitable transactions.
    • Trump attorney Christopher Kise said in a statement Monday that the case by James and her office amounted to an abuse of authority. Trump, his advocates and his supporters have long accused James, a Democrat, of being motivated by politics by pursuing Trump.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

90%

  • Unique Points
    • Donald J. Trump filed an appeal on Monday evening against a $454 million judgment in a New York civil fraud case.
    • Trump's lawyers also questioned the size of the judgment, suggesting it was disproportionate and that damages were overcounted or profits miscalculated.
  • Accuracy
    • Trump filed an appeal on Monday evening against a $454 million judgment in a New York civil fraud case.
    • The appeal argues that many of the deals in question occurred long ago and the statute of limitations for violations cited has run out.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The authors make an appeal to authority by quoting Attorney General Letitia James' statement that 'there cannot be different rules for different people in this country.' This is not a logical fallacy on its own, but it sets up the implication that the judgment against Trump is fair and just because it was handed down against him. However, the authors do not provide any evidence or reasoning of their own to support this implication.
    • Attorney General Letitia James of New York, a Democrat, who hailed her victory over Mr. Trump as having demonstrated that ‘there cannot be different rules for different people in this country.’
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

83%

  • Unique Points
    • Donald Trump appealed his $454 million civil fraud case in New York five months after being held liable for business fraud by a New York judge.
    • The appeal targets February’s ruling by Judge Arthur Engoron, which found that Trump fraudulently inflated his net worth to secure better business deals.
    • Defense lawyers argued that the case focused on transactions outside the court’s statute of limitations, misapplied the relevant law, and resulted in an excessive financial penalty.
    • Judge Engoron determined that Trump and his co-defendants lied about his net worth on financial statements by exaggerating property values to secure better business deals.
    • New York’s Appellate Division granted a last-minute request to reduce the bond from $464 million to $175 million, which Trump secured with help from a California-based insurance company.
  • Accuracy
    • The appeal argues that several loans cited by prosecutors should not have been considered in the case.
    • Trump argues that the judge ignored a pretrial ruling that would have eliminated significant parts of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case on statute of limitations grounds.
  • Deception (50%)
    The author makes editorializing statements such as 'It violates centuries of New York case law holding that NYAG cannot sue to vindicate alleged violations that are purely private in nature -- and, in this case, do not exist at all.' and 'Such an outrageous miscarriage of justice is profoundly un-American.' These statements express the author's opinion on the matter rather than reporting facts. The author also quotes defense lawyers making arguments against the ruling without providing context or factual evidence to support their claims.
    • Such an outrageous miscarriage of justice is profoundly un-American.
    • It violates centuries of New York case law holding that NYAG cannot sue to vindicate alleged violations that are purely private in nature -- and, in this case, do not exist at all.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority by quoting the New York Attorney General's spokesperson and Judge Engoron's ruling. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the ruling as an 'outrageous miscarriage of justice'. No formal fallacies were found.
    • ][The judge] held Donald Trump liable for committing business fraud.[/
    • ][A spokesperson for James] said her office is confident the ruling will be upheld on appeal.[
    • ][Defense lawyers argued that the case focuses on profitable transactions without any victims.] "There were no victims and no losses."[
    • ][Trump attorney Christopher Kise] said, "Such an outrageous miscarriage of justice is profoundly un-American, and a complete reversal is the only means available to restore public confidence in the integrity of the New York judicial system."
  • Bias (95%)
    The author uses language that depicts Trump and his team as having committed a 'massive financial penalty' and an 'outrageous miscarriage of justice', implying that the ruling against them was extreme or unreasonable. The author also quotes the attorney general's spokesperson stating that they are confident the ruling will be upheld on appeal, which could be seen as taking a side in the dispute.
    • such an outrageous miscarriage of justice is profoundly un-American
      • The frauds found here leap off the page and shock the conscience
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication