At least one of Trumpā€™s four criminal trials is set to begin while the others are now in jeopardy

After five decades of playing fast and loose with the laws of New York, and a plenary of fraud, deception and corruption, legal appeasement seems to be declining and legal accountability seems to be ramping up as the proverbial hens are finally returning home to roost for the former Houdini of white-collar crime, Donald J. Trump.

First, there was the civil judgment of 5 million dollars awarded to the writer E. Jean Carroll by a federal jury of Trumpā€™s peers. Then there was a second judgment of $83.3 million in damages awarded to Carroll by another jury of Trumpā€™s peers for the additional defamatory statements that he continued to make after the first judgment was rendered for denying that he had sexually assaulted Carroll. And then there was the New York civil fraud decision by Judge Arthur Engoron holding Trump and his sons, Eric and Don, Jr. financially liable to the tune of more than $350 million underscoring ā€œthe extent of Trump and the Trump Organizationā€™s white-collar malfeasance.ā€ Last week, Judge Engoron turned down a request by Trumpā€™s lawyers to postpone payment.

However, in the case of the historic $454 million judgment, ā€œa figure that is growing by more than $100,000 in interest every day,ā€ Trump sought a stay yesterday in opposition to New York law that requires first forking over the entire amount in damages or putting up a cash bond for the same known in the New York civil court system as an ā€œundertaking.ā€

Trump also had previously done the same thing with the $83.3 million ruling by a jury in the second E. Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit. Neither of these appeals should go anywhere and the clock is still ticking in each case and soon time will be up before Carrollā€™s attorneys and then the New York attorney general Letitia James can start seizing the former presidentā€™s assets and property.

  • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    29
    Ā·
    8 months ago

    I can think of several nations that would happily fork over half a billion dollars to have that kind of hold over a possible future sitting President of the United States. None of that is good for the USA though.

    • TimLovesTech (AuDHD)(he/him)@badatbeing.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      Ā·
      8 months ago

      Trumpā€™s problem now is that:

      1. this is all very public

      2. that kind of money is going to leave a trail and is being watched - itā€™s not his typical moving the shell game he is used to

      • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        Ā·
        8 months ago

        Besides being 77 years old. Heā€™s in the endgame anyway. If he doesnā€™t get re-elected heā€™ll be demolished by the consequences of his prior crimes. If he does get into office, his supporters will happily look the other way when he starts selling our nation and its citizens to the highest foreign and domestic power brokers.

        • Riskable@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          Ā·
          8 months ago

          Bonus: If he doesnā€™t get reelected the entire Republican party will collapse. It has expelled anyone who isnā€™t vehemently and publicly pro-Trump. Their entire fundraising apparatus relies on Trump. Their entire base is pro-Trump at this point as well and those people basically hate every other party leader except maybe Mitch McConnell who will keel over any moment now (though that may have already happened šŸ˜).

          They havenā€™t had much of a party platform since the 1980s and their last stapleā€“overturning Roe v Wadeā€“has been achieved. They have no legislative priorities other than, ā€œelect Trumpā€ or ā€œpardon Trumpā€. The only thing remaining that they stand for is dismantling government (aka ā€œtax reductionā€, ending oversight of all kinds, and literally calling for the end of democracy) which isnā€™t popular enough to survive without Trump.

          Basically, with Trump they can do whatever TF they want as long as the orange criminal is fed. Without Trump they have to actually sell their BS and none of it is popularā€¦ Even among the Republican base.