NY AG Letitia James Won’t Drop Trump Civil Fraud Judgment
“Presidents do not have immunity from civil lawsuits arising from unofficial conduct, and such lawsuits may proceed while the President is in office.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James told President-elect Donald Trump she will not toss the civil fraud judgment against him.
Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay $454 million in fines after finding he overstated the values of his assets, which is typical.
Trump has appealed the judgment. But after demolishing VP Kamala Harris in November, he asked James to drop the case.
“Your letter presents no basis for this Office to seek to vacate the final judgment or to dismiss this action,” wrote Judith Vale, the deputy solicitor general.
Vale added:
First, Mr. Trump’s upcoming inauguration as the next President of the United States has no bearing on the pendency of defendants’ appeal in this action. This civil enforcement action is not a criminal action, and Supreme Court did not impose any criminal sanction on Mr. Trump or any other defendant. Accordingly, the various actions taken by the Special Counsel’s office or the District Attorney’s Office of New York County in the respective criminal cases brought by those offices against Mr. Trump are irrelevant here.
Vale said Trump does not have immunity in this case because the “judgment concerns only business conduct undertaken by entities that are part of the Trump Organization and individual defendants who were acting on behalf of the Trump Organization.”
“The judgment thus does not concern any conduct related to Mr. Trump’s first term as President,” added Vale. “Nor does it implicate any conduct that Mr. Trump might undertake after his upcoming inauguration. Presidents do not have immunity from civil lawsuits arising from unofficial conduct, and such lawsuits may proceed while the President is in office.”
The New York appeals court heard opening arguments in September. Elizabeth wrote about the hearing, offering many details from the exchanges. The justices aimed most of their questions at Vale.
The justices also did not say when the court would make a decision. Forbes said it would likely happen after the election.
If the justices rule against Trump he can appeal the case to New York’s highest appellate court.
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Comments
Ivan put a bullseye on her…
You would have thought that they would just drop the case because the Appeals COurt is about to blow it apart anyway.
Are you sure?
The questioning of the prosecution was pretty specific and doubtful. I think that even for them this case was a bridge too far.
I would tend to agree, but I’m a skeptic. I can’t see a NY court of any level producing a clean dismissal when there’s this much cocktail party fodder involved. That’s an instant pariah status. My guess is they split the baby, reduce the judgement to something horrid instead of ridiculous, and demand payment in cash (plus a certain sum under the table). My non-lawyer take if this happens would be for a Fed judge to yank the case into Fed court because ‘potentially official acts of the Executive branch were involved’ under supremacy, then dismiss with prejudice about ten minutes later and let NY scream. Then prosecute every member of the prosecution for Federal election interference.
There was no prosecution. It’s a civil case.
And there’s no possible federal nexus. There’s no way for “official acts of the Executive branch” to be involved in a purely private matter about Trump’s private business practices.
I followed the case pretty closely. And have the background for it. I’d be shocked if there weren’t a complete reversal. Not much coming from a NY Appel court would shock me but I think the claim itself is preposterous and the trial judge’s conduct of the case was highly questionable.
The fact that she campaigning on “getting Trump” should lead to loss of her BAR/Legal License
Except who do you think is in charge of Attorney Discipline in NY State? The same corrupt court system….
Every professional in New York is licensed by the Regents, except doctors and lawyers
The fact that she campaigned _and won_ on “getting Trump” should mean that any jury pool drawn from New York voters is tainted.
I’m okay with a reversal by the court of appeals and it being upheld. Otherwise the door is open to continue playing these games on the next targets.
Don’t put any faith in any New York courts. They are all corrupt and insane. This might have to get to the SCOTUS for an actual resolution.
Just the $18 million valuation for Mar-A-Lago is enough to prove the malevolent idiocy of this case … but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the New York appellate and supreme courts uphold the decision and the insane fine.
The resolution should also include a recommendation of misconduct by L James et al. A Reprimand at the very least.
Good. Don’t dismiss it. I want the appeals court to crush it which based on their questions to the state lawyer during the hearing is more likely than not.
This case is a farce that should enrage anyone who cares about the judicial system. Letitia James is a criminal who is using her office to carry out insane personal attacks. She deserves decades in prison. Corrupt officials abusing governmental powers to attack citizens over private matters are the worst criminals that any nation can have. That decrepit “judge” Engoron is part of this obscene Soviet show trial, capped off by the most outrageous fine imaginable. He should be spending the rest of his pathetic life in a prison cell, too. Sadly … justice will never be served in this case.
Maybe AB Bondi can do something
nope complete immunity for the prosecution
Officials don’t have immunity for corrupt abuse of government powers – deprivation of civil rights under the color of law …
Does the name “Mike Nifong” ring a bell?
He really needed to be sent to jail for what he did. He should have been forced to serve the sum of the maximum sentences he put the Duke boys in jeopardy of (plus an added amount for his criminal punishment).
Nifong had absolute immunity for his official acts as a DA. Knowingly bringing a frivolous case? Not a problem.
He got in trouble only because he conspired to conceal evidence, and he lied to the judge.
Actually, Governor Hochul can do something about it.
I have to believe that New York’s over-reach in this case has not gone unnoticed by the business community, which by now has to realize there is a poilitical jeopardy to doing business in NYC. They are strangling tre giolden goose.
One of the strongest arguments for this trial being a violation of “equal justice” clause is that Hochul immediately gave a speech where she said that law was only being used against Trump.
Her targeted prosecution of the NRA was off the wall as well. Her argument was that Wayne LaPierre had defrauded the organization’s membership by spending their dues money on personal expenses instead of on preserving their rights. Her proposed “solution” was to disband the organization entirely, despite everyone telling her that this was the opposite of making the members whole. Eventually, she had to accept that argument from someone she answered to, and she ended up actually achieving a proper resolution to that case, removing Lapier from power and putting in the organization into the conservatorship of directors who are not involved with the original scam. But left to herself, she would’ve destroyed the organization completely, because that was her teal intent.
There’s a lot of stupidity around about this but she’s certainly a focal point.
The legal system needs to be reformed. Spite lawsuits, malicious prosecution, prosecutors with political motivations, etc.
The epitome of a failed life- being a solemn-faced, white cuck standing behind Letitia James.
She’s wider than the podium. It’s a miracle you can see anyone behind her.
Sounds like something for the DOJ civil rights division to look into. Selective prosecu
First of all there was no prosecution.
Second, selective prosecution is not an offense.
Morticia, your case is dead.
Good Trumpian nickname for her: the Chocolate Moose.
Win the appeal and then go after her license. The judge’s, too. She deserves to be severely sanctioned for her blatant abuse of the law.
Was Leticia a linesman for the Jets?
Why should she? There will be no consequences for the patently immoral carp NY pulled in relation to that case. She’ll go on to a board position somewhere, at the least, for her adherence to the Progressive Church and fighting the Orange Anti-
ChristState. Until there are consequences, they will keep doing this carp. (Along with their anti-2A and anti-1A laws.)If the suit is upheld in the appellate court she’ll be elected governor on its strength.
Describing your wet dreams on LI is tasteless, Millie.
Meanwhile, as NY state continues its lawfare campaign against Trump, Biden quietly gave Iran another $10-BILLION in sanctions relief, in case anyone has forgotten who the real criminal is. I wonder how much of that $10B was funneled to a shell company that’s controlled by Hunter…who enjoys a pardon from ALL CRIMES from now until midnight on the 31st.
What good behavior has Iran done to deserve such payment? Certainly nothing with regards to Israel
Nothing, apparently. This story from The Fee Beacon is insane.
https://freebeacon.com/national-security/days-after-trumps-victory-biden-harris-admin-granted-iran-10-billion-in-sanctions-relief-congressional-notice-shows/
No, he doesn’t. A pardon can’t cover future crimes. The pardon was “For those offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024,”
Is there a betting pool on how long he can hold out before committing more felonies? Perhaps I’m too cynical in thinking that 51 days (Dec 1 – Jan 20) is too long?
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
paging Harmeet Dhillon . . . . please pick up the white courtesy phone . . .
How does this suit infringe that?
Can Trump pardon this? Perhaps if he appeals high enough?
Nope. This is (un)civil, not criminal. What he can do, though, is keep pumping the appeals and publicizing them until people get fed up enough to vote James out of office.
No.
1. It’s not a criminal case. There’s no offense to pardon.
2. It’s not a federal case. Which is why he can’t pardon himself from the criminal case either. He’s not the president of New York, so he can’t pardon offenses against NY.
She picked a stupid hill to die on. As I see it, more people are going to become aware of how bad the last 4 years were when they start getting better, just like how things were getting too good which forced the dems to steal the election. They won’t be able to repeat 20 in 28, and these NPCs will have been reduced to irrelevance.