The Blubber

The judge who hit Donald Trump with a $355 million verdict in New York state’s civil fraud suit against him said the former president owes $99 million in interest, per Bloomberg.


A judgment confirming Justice Arthur Engoron's February 16 decision was filed on Friday in Manhattan, establishing damages at $454 million and initiating a 30-day period for Trump to appeal. The judgment did not specify the amount of interest.

New York Attorney General Letitia James secured the trial by presenting evidence that Trump, his sons, and his company had inflated his assets by billions of dollars annually to secure better loan terms for over ten years.

Interest on Trump's debt will increase by nearly $112,000 per day until he pays, even during any appeals, according to the attorney general's office.

Including an $83.3 million defamation judgment in E. Jean Carroll's trial last month, Trump now owes approximately $540 million in court judgments. These legal battles are straining Trump's finances as he seeks to return to the White House in the upcoming election. Additionally, he faces four criminal cases, with one starting next month in Manhattan.

Christopher Kise, one of Trump's lawyers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Engoron's judgment.

Trump began accruing interest in 2019 when the state's investigation began. The judgment stems from Trump's savings on four real estate loans due to inflated wealth, as well as profits from property sales in Washington and New York. James alleged Trump would not have been able to purchase these properties without padding his bank account through fraud.

The judgment also includes interest on damages for Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, all accused of participating in the fraud. Their total damages amount to about $10.4 million.

Initially, the fine was close to the $370 million sought by the attorney general, who also requested repayment of interest on the illegal profit. The final award surpasses the $250 million initially sought in the complaint, which James increased based on additional evidence presented during the trial.

Engoron's decision last week did not impose a lifetime ban on Trump from conducting business in New York, as requested by James. However, a three-year ban on running a business in the state was still a symbolic blow for the former president, whose career flourished in New York City.