Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) sharply criticized her MAGA colleagues in the House and reacted to Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling ordering former President Donald Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization to pay over $354 million in damages for fraud in New York.
Crockett criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson for what she perceived as inaction on the budget and then turned her attention to Trump and Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL), a MAGA loyalist currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
She commented on X, “TRUMP is now ordered to pay $364 milli & Matt Gaetz supposedly paid for drug fueled orgies? You want to better understand white privilege? Assess what happens when we discuss these 3 men from the party of ‘values’ v. Ohhhh Fani Willis.”
Regarding Gaetz, Crockett referenced a report by The New Republic that a potential witness in the House Ethics Committee investigation claimed to have had sex with Gaetz at a drug-fueled party in 2021 that she was paid to attend.
When asked on X about how attorney Alina Habba, who represented Trump in the fraud case, would be paid, Crockett jokingly replied, “Lol… in cash maybe?”
Crockett’s response, while humorous, also refers to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s recent testimony about using cash for certain payments, which she described as “a Black thing.”
Willis shared that her father had taught her the importance of having cash at home for emergencies and mentioned bringing cash on dates as a precaution.
The question about Habba’s payment becomes relevant as the substantial civil fraud penalty against Trump raises questions about his financial standing.
The Hill reported that Trump’s financial state might be affected by the ruling, which comes after he was also ordered to pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million for defamation.
Habba and Christopher Kise, Trump’s lawyers in the civil fraud case, have stated they will appeal Judge Engoron’s decision.