OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Democratic officials are continuing to use their positions of power to bludgeon former President Donald Trump through the courts, as evidenced by a motion filed last week by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
According to The Epoch Times, James has petitioned the judge overseeing Trump’s civil fraud case to nullify the $175 million bond posted by a surety company on his behalf, citing concerns about its adequacy and questioning the firm’s credibility. She is requesting the court to mandate a new bond with adequate collateral.
Knight Specialty Insurance Company (KSIC) posted a $175 million bond on April 1 on behalf of Trump. This bond shields his properties and assets from potential seizure following a $464 million judgment (including interest) in a case alleging he inflated asset values for improved loan terms, the outlet reported.
James, who filed the civil fraud case against Trump, questioned the adequacy of the $175 million bond in a court filing shortly after KSIC posted it. In response, Trump’s attorneys argued that the company is sufficiently capitalized and has ample collateral to support the bond.
In an April 19 court filing, James refuted that claim, presenting several arguments against KSIC’s assertion. She requested the presiding judge, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, to declare the bond “without effect” and mandate a replacement bond to be posted within seven days.
Engoron has set an April 22 hearing date for arguments in the case, a development that comes as Trump’s hush money trial is scheduled to begin in Manhattan on Monday.
The Epoch Times added:
In response, President Trump’s lawyers filed a motion on April 15 asking the judge to dismiss Ms. James’s objections to the bond, while laying out a series of arguments why they believe the surety to be valid.
President Trump’s counsel pointed out that there’s no legal requirement for a surety company to be an “admitted carrier” in New York State to provide the bond.
They also argued that the company is well-capitalized, with over $539 million in assets, $138 million in equity—plus having access to over $2 billion in assets and $1 billion in equity.
Separately, Trump has made it clear he has nothing to hide and is more than willing to “tell the truth” if he’s called to testify during his hush money trial.
On Friday, 12 jurors were seated along with six alternates, setting the stage for the first-ever criminal trial of a former president, though his supporters and many left-leaning legal analysts and experts see Democratic District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against him as purely political.
“Yeah, I would testify, absolutely,” Trump declared last week, repeatedly calling the trial a “scam.”
“I’m testifying. I tell the truth. I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there is no case,” Trump added.
Trump is not required to testify in his criminal trial. But, if he chooses to testify, the prosecution may cross-examine him while he is under oath. This means he could be questioned about any number of topics, including his relationship with Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress to which the money was reportedly paid ahead of the 2016 election.
In a civil suit brought by E. Jean Carroll, Trump chose to testify, but the judge in that case placed significant limitations on what he was allowed to say.
“Trump is the first former president to stand trial in a criminal case. He is required to be in court every day the court is in session to participate in his defense, which will significantly restrict the amount of time he can spend campaigning for president,” NBC reported.
Trump has called the several cases filed against him blatant “election interference.”
