A breath of fresh air for Donald Trump. The New York State Court of Appeal reduced, on Monday, March 25, to $175 million the sum that the former American president must pay following his civil conviction for financial fraud.

She gave him ten days to raise this sum, even though he had initially been fined $454 million with his sons Eric and Donald Jr. for financial fraud within their real estate empire, the Trump Organization. Donald Trump previously had until Monday to provide a guarantee that he would pay the 454 million, a judgment which he appealed.

The three men risked having their real estate assets seized and their bank accounts frozen by local Attorney General Letitia James who took them to court in October 2022.

Indicted in four criminal cases and already sentenced to very heavy fines in two civil trials, the real estate magnate and Republican candidate in the November presidential election, welcomed the decision of the Court of Appeal of New York on his bail.

“I deeply respect the decision of the appeals court and I will deposit $175 million in cash, bonds or stocks, or whatever is necessary, very quickly, within ten days,” he said during a break in the hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court for the 2016 case of hidden payments to an adult film actress.

"Humiliation"

If he had found himself unable to pay, it would have considerably damaged the "image" of Donald Trump, "because he has always presented himself as a successful billionaire", Andrew Weissmann stressed for AFP , former federal prosecutor and author of a book on the indictments of the ex-president.

For him it would be a "humiliation", also believes Carl Tobias, professor of law at the University of Richmond (Virginia, east), with the prospect of having to "sell his real estate" or have it "seized " or even "declare personal bankruptcy", according to the expert.

The former Republican president (2017-2021) assured Friday that he had “nearly $500 million in cash, a significant part of which is intended to be used in (his) campaign” against his Democratic successor Joe Biden.

He also benefited from good news on Friday with a green light for the IPO of his media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, which could bring him billions of dollars.

Donald Trump once again attacked Judge Engoron and prosecutor James on Monday, whom he systematically accuses of bias against him.

He arrived at 10 a.m. (2 p.m. GMT), looking sullen and visibly exasperated, at the Manhattan courthouse.

“This is a witch hunt and a hoax,” the former president exclaimed once again as he entered the courtroom.

Read alsoAssault on the Capitol, financial fraud... Donald Trump's legal problems

As for his criminal trial in a case of payments to an adult film actress, the judge, rejecting the defense's request to grant Donald Trmp a new deadline, announced that the trial will begin on April 15.

“The court concludes that the prosecution has respected and continues to respect its obligations regarding the communication of evidence,” said Judge Juan Merchan in the reasons for his decision.

The judge had provisionally postponed the trial to mid-April, initially scheduled for March 25, following the recent filing of thousands of pages of documents.

With AFP

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