Two judges in two separate cases fined former President Donald Trump just under half a billion dollars.
The fines suggest that Democrats seek to bankrupt Trump as he campaigns once again to shake up Washington, DC, and oust President Joe Biden, who claims he is not behind the lawsuits or indictments against Trump — although several prosecutors reportedly met with Biden administration officials before three of the indictments.
Between two cases, the fines against Trump amount to more than $430 million:
- New York civil fraud case: More than $355 million
- E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case: $83.3 million
In both cases, Trump says he will appeal the rulings.
Writer E. Jean Carroll leaves federal court after the verdict in her defamation case against former US president Donald Trump in New York on January 26, 2024. Trump was ordered Friday by a New York jury to pay $83 million in damages to Carroll, whom he publicly insulted and called a liar for alleging that he sexually assaulted her. The jury reached its decision after slightly less than three hours of deliberations. Trump made multiple comments about Carroll while he was president, demeaning her in the wake of her allegation of a 1990s assault. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Even if the cases are reversed on appeal, legal cases impact Trump’s 2024 candidacy, ABC News reported:
While Trump’s donors have largely footed the bill for his campaign expenses — with Trump’s political committee spending more than $50 million on his campaign in 2023 — the legal cases present a stickier challenge for Trump, who has built a reputation around his wealth. Courts allow defendants multiple mechanisms to collect damages, including liens and wage garnishments, and the fines are not dischargeable through traditional protections like bankruptcy.
Multiple legal experts who ABC News spoke with suggested that Trump is unlikely to front the fines immediately, and will instead opt to delay any payment using a bond secured by his assets until after he exhausts his appeal options.
Trump said his company had more than $400 million in cash last year when Trump was deposed in the New York civil fraud case.
Trump’s real estate company is a widely successful origination that maintains many sizable assets.
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former GOP War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.
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