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Former President Donald Trump dropped some bombshells in a fiery response to New York Judge Arthur Engoron’s decision to fine him $355 million and bar him from operating and managing businesses in the state for three years following his civil fraud trial.
Trump blasted “clubhouse politician” Engoron and defended the “great company” he built, telling Fox News Digital that the ruling is another example of Democrats “trying to stop” him but that “they will not be successful.”
The ruling stemmed from Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud lawsuit against Trump, alleging that he inflated his assets and committed fraud in the process.
“A crooked New York judge working with the very corrupt attorney general of New York State, who ran on the basis of ‘I will get Trump’ before knowing me — before even knowing anything about me — just ruled that I have to pay a fine of $355 million based on absolutely nothing,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “No victims. No damages. Great financial statements, with full disclaimer clauses, only success.”
He added that the “banks and insurance companies were thrilled — they made nothing but money. No defaults, no nothing at a time when many banks are losing money.”
“This is a witch hunt where the judge ruled against me before he even saw the case,” Trump said, noting that Engoron “strongly stated that said Mar-a-Lago was worth $18 million- when it is worth anywhere from 50 to 100 times more than that.”
Fox News Digital added:
In September, Engoron ruled that Trump and the Trump Organization had committed fraud while building a real estate empire by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.
Trump added that Engoron has “already been overturned on this case four times — a record,” in reference to the New York State Appellate Division’s rulings.
“I built a great company, and now this whacked-out clubhouse politician judge bars me for three years,” Trump said, adding that the case “should have gone to the commercial division,” but said Engoron “wouldn’t allow it to happen.”
Trump said that Engoron “is a political hack working in conjunction with a crooked attorney general in the greatest case of election interference anyone has ever seen in this country.”
In his 92-page ruling, Engoron claimed that Trump “rarely” answered questions posed to him directly, which he said undermined his “credibility.” But Trump refuted that.
“I answered the questions very directly, and the financial statements speak for themselves — they are fantastic financial statements,” he said.
The judge also barred Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or legal entity in New York for two years. He “permanently” barred defendants Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, and the former corporate controller Jeffrey McConney from “serving in the financial control function of any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in New York State,” and as the director of any corporation or other legal entity in the state for three years.
“This country is becoming worse than Russia ever was,” Trump added.
“They are doing this because I am beating Biden in the polls by so much,” Trump told the outlet. “They are trying to stop me, but they will not be successful.”
He noted further: “I’m fighting for America. I’m fighting for the people.”
Trump also responded on his Truth Social platform:
This Election Interference and tyrannical Abuse of Power by a Crooked Judge and Crooked Attorney General cannot be tolerated. My case was already won in the Appellate Division, and more than 80% of the frivolous claims were wiped out. Yet, as I suspected, and in order to hurt me and the Republican Party politically, Crooked and Corrupt Judge Arthur Engoron ignored his loss at the Appellate Division, and came up with an outrageous $355 Million Dollar fine against me. Using a statute that has never been applied like this before, the Corrupt Judge conspired with the Crooked Attorney General, Letitia James, and punished a liquid and beautiful Corporate Empire that started in New York, and has been successful all around the world.
