New York Attorney General Letitia James has outlined her plan to seize former President Donald Trump’s buildings and assets if he fails to pay the $355 million penalty imposed in his civil fraud case.
State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron recently ordered Trump to pay the penalty and barred him from doing business in New York for three years. James expressed confidence that her office would prevail against Trump’s expected appeal and dismissed claims of a “political witch hunt.”
In an interview with ABC News, James stated that if Trump cannot pay the judgment, her office will seek enforcement mechanisms in court and ask the judge to seize his assets.
New York Attorney General (Credits: Rolling Stone)
She specifically mentioned looking at 40 Wall Street, the Trump Building in Lower Manhattan. Trump’s legal team has vowed to appeal the case, calling it a “political witch hunt,” and has accused the judge of judicial malpractice.
James brought the lawsuit against Trump in 2022, alleging that he inflated his assets to obtain better loans. Justice Engoron found Trump liable for civil fraud and ruled that he inflated his assets weeks before the trial began.
The attorney general rejected Trump’s argument that no fraud occurred, emphasizing that financial fraud is not a victimless crime.
Apart from the civil fraud case, Trump faces four criminal cases, including charges related to “hush money” payments before the 2016 elections, challenges to the 2020 election results, and the handling of classified documents.
Trump has called for the legal cases to stop, claiming they amount to election interference and likening the situation to communism.
Despite the legal challenges, Trump has achieved significant wins in Republican presidential primary contests, securing victories in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As the legal battles unfold, Trump continues to position himself as a frontrunner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
