Former US president Donald Trump appealed the $355 million fine imposed by a New York court after he was found to have manipulated the values of his properties to fraudulently obtain favorable loan conditions, court filings showed Monday.
Trump — almost certain to be the Republican presidential nominee this November — had vowed to challenge the ruling by judge Arthur Engoron.
The order also barred him and his sons from conducting business in New York: Trump for three years and his sons for two.
Including pretrial interest charged at 9 percent, Trump is liable to pay $454,156,783.05, according to the appeal filing lodged at the New York Supreme Court — with interest continuing to be applied until the full sum is paid.
The appeal means that the case, and the significant financial jeopardy it entails, will continue well into the presidential campaign and possibly beyond the November vote.
Trump, also facing 91 criminal counts in four criminal cases, has seized on his legal woes to fire up supporters and denounce his likely opponent, President Joe Biden, claiming that the cases are “just a way of hurting me in the election.”
Engoron said in his February 16 ruling that the financially shattering penalties are justified by Trump’s behavior.
“Their complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological,” Engoron said of Trump and his two sons, who were also defendants, in his scathing ruling.
“President Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, Allen Weisselberg… hereby appeal to the Appellate Division,” Monday’s appeal.
It was as a property developer and businessman in New York that Trump built his public profile which he used as a springboard into the entertainment industry and ultimately the presidency.
