The former US President, Donald Trump, has accused the judge who sentenced him of corruption due to his connections with the Democratic Party.
| Photo: EFE/Allison Dinner
In a recent development, the New York Court has raised the monetary penalty to be paid by the former US President, Donald Trump, in a real estate fraud case by an additional US$100 million. This brings the total fine to US$454.9 million, an updated amount that includes interest on the initial penalty of US$ 354.9 million, which was determined in February by Judge Arthur Engoron of the Supreme Court of New York State. The total amount is equivalent to approximately R$2.3 billion as per the current exchange rate.
Trump, convicted of manipulating the value of his properties, remains barred from holding significant positions in any New York company or securing loans from banks within the state. This is a consequence of his conviction for “artificially inflating the value of his properties”. He, a US presidential candidate for the Republican party, faces these restrictions as a result of his conviction.
Trump’s sons, Eric and Donald Jr., who were also implicated in the case, have been similarly prohibited from assuming leadership roles in New York. They have also been ordered to pay a fine of US$4.7 million, which is equivalent to about R$23 million.
The case also involves Allen Weisselberg, the financial director of Trump’s companies, who has been instructed to pay a penalty of US$1.1 million, equivalent to R$5.4 million. The defendants have a 30-day window to appeal against the decision.
As Trump makes attempts to regain the presidency of the United States, he is embroiled in four additional criminal cases. He has accused Engoron and Letitia James – the New York State attorney general who initiated the real estate fraud case – of corruption and of instigating a “witch hunt”. Both Engoron and James have ties to the Democratic Party.
