The Russia Investigations and other Trump-related cases

[N.E. Brigand]

Based on the details in that CNN article, I would calculate as follows to the nearest hundred thousand:
$354,900,000 -- total disgorgement before interest
+$75,600,000 -- 9% interest on $168,000,000, dating to March 2019, for financial misstatements for loans from banks
+$19,800,000 -- 9% interest on $126,000,000, dating to May 2022, for imporper profits on the sale of his D.C. hotel
+$ 3,600,000 -- 9% interest on $60,000,000, dating to June 2023, for improper profits on the sale of Ferry Point golf course in N.Y.
That's $99 million in interest, bringing the total to $453.9 million in all.

($355 million and $364 million cited as the total owed in various news outlets' initial postings about today's judgement. Now I realize that the latter number includes the fines issued to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump ($4 million each) and to Allen Weisselberg ($1 million).)

[Tweet from Kyle Griffin: "The New York County clerk has just entered the judgment signed by Judge Engoron -- the total disgorgement (and interest) for Donald Trump is $454,156,783.05.]

In order for him to appeal, he will have to file a bond in that amount.

This really puts things into perspective.

[Tweet from Kyle Griffin: "The DAILY interest on Trump's fraud fine is $110,000."]

It's interesting that the daily interest was previously being reported as $87,000.

And my calculation of $453,900,000 for disgorgement plus pre-judgment interest was off by $256,783.

Two hundred fifty thousand dollars is a lot of money for most people, but in this case, it's less than one-tenth of one percent of the total.

[Jude]

I'm not sure if this is accurate to the very penny, but this is interesting:

Trump Debt Counter

As of this posting, it's $464,882,093.70 oops I mean $464,882,162.10 oops I mean $464,882,190.90

It's moving faster than I can type...

In the time it took me to write this post, his debt increases by more than one of my mortgage payments.

[N.E. Brigand]

Donald Trump has given notice that he is appealing the fraud case in which he owes more than $454 million for disgorgement and pre-judgment interest. (It's actually more now, because new interest has been accruing.) As I understand it, he can't actually file the appeal itself until he either pays the full amount due now (in which case it goes into an interest-bearing escrow account until his appeals are exhausted) or posts a surety bond. The latter means getting a bond company to post some percentage and agree to pay the full amount due if Trump does not. Trump would have to offer that company something as collateral. And I'm not sure how interest is managed in that case.

Trump also has yet to pay the judgment or post bond in the second E. Jean Carroll trial, for which he owes $83 million, and his time is running out to do so. He's trying to get that requirement stayed -- the judge said no once already -- and I believe there's a hearing later this week. (Sorry I don't have links handy for these stories.)

[N.E. Brigand]

In order for him to appeal, he will have to file a bond in that amount.

Donald Trump has submitted a 1700-page filing in which he asks New York's appellate decision to let him put up only $100 million, or 22% of what he owes.

He says he doesn't have the cash and would have to sell his properties to raise it.

[N.E. Brigand]

[$454,156,783.05]

In order for him to appeal, he will have to file a bond in that amount.

Donald Trump has submitted a 1700-page filing in which he asks New York's appellate decision to let him put up only $100 million, or 22% of what he owes.

He says he doesn't have the cash and would have to sell his properties to raise it.

Brad Heath points out that Donald Trump previously said in a deposition that he has $400 million in cash.

That said, $400 million would leave him $55 million short on this judgment alone, and he still has to put up $83 million for E. Jean Carroll.

Edited to add: Just nine days ago (but not under oath), Trump's attorney Alina Habba said he was "prepared" to post the full bond.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

The appeals court judge denied Trump's request to only have to submit a bond of $100,000, requiring that he pay the full amount. However, the judge lifted the ban on Trump getting a loan from a bank that is registered in NY in order to make it easier for him to post the bond.

Trump must come up with the full bond amount to cover the $454 million civil fraud trial judgment, appeals court judge rules

[Sunsilver]

I'm not sure if this is accurate to the very penny, but this is interesting:

Trump Debt Counter

As of this posting, it's $464,882,093.70 oops I mean $464,882,162.10 oops I mean $464,882,190.90

It's moving faster than I can type...

In the time it took me to write this post, his debt increases by more than one of my mortgage payments.

Jude, came across this cartoon today. Wonder if Putin will help out?

[RoseMorninStar]

Jude, came across this cartoon today. Wonder if Putin will help out?

This is really the problem, isn't it? I believe there was some of this when Trump was president. Heads of state from other countries spend millions at Trump properties. Deal's made that benefit Trump &/or family members (perhaps) for things swept under the rug, like Jamal Khashoggi's murder. I have no faith that he wouldn't sell out the country for his own personal gain and if he's hurting for cash, even more so.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

This could have significant ramifications for Trump's criminal trial that starts 3 weeks from today. While (as the article notes) he is not expected to testify against Trump, it may well mean that he won't be testifying for Trump in that trial, which would leave little opportunity to have any testimony that contradicts Michael Cohen's testimony.

[N.E. Brigand]

*Speaking of sexual misconduct in religious settings, Jerry Falwell Jr., who unexpectedly endorsed Donald Trump in early 2016 after Trump fixer Michael Cohen helped Falwell hide a sex scandal involving his wife and their pool man (Cohen says those two things are not related), was eventually fired from Liberty University due to that scandal. He has a suit against Liberty, which he amended today to include allegations that multiple other prominent Liberty employees -- whom Falwell names -- were known to be engaging in their own extramarital escapades without consequence. (Falwell was last discussed in this thread here.)

Peyton Place? Harper Valley PTA? Do as I say not as I do? Shocked I tell you! Shocked! (Not).

Meanwhile, "Liberty University fined record $14 million for campus safety law violations." Falwell is mentioned near the end, but this fine issued by the Dept. of Education is about the university failing to properly address multiple student allegations of sexual misconduct.

[N.E. Brigand]

Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Christopher Steele in the U.K. was dismissed today. Some commentators say this is because Trump sued under the wrong law and then the statute of limitations expired. (I haven't read the decision, which is at the second link.)

And now Donald Trump is on the hook for Christopher Steele's legal expenses in this matter. Steele estimates these as £600,000 (=$768,800). Today the court said Trump needs to pay £300,000 (=$384,000) up front while a special judge determines the exact final amount Trump owes.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

[N.E. Brigand]

Bradley Moss on Twitter: "Again, Trump confirms he doesn't have the money"

It's not really the same thing at all, but the phrasing of this plea from far right radio host Mark Levin:



Reminds me of this:



"'Have they no refuge or resource?' cried Scrooge.

'Are there no prisons?' said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. 'Are there no workhouses?' The bell struck twelve."

Which reminds me, let's get Denzel Washington to play the Ghost of Christmas Present.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

* A couple of weeks ago I saw that there was a lawsuit filed that alleged that a woman had been sexually harassed by the manager of one of Trump's golf clubs and then was "befriended" by Habba, who then convinced the woman to fire her attorney and sign a settlement agreement drafted by Habba for a nominal sum that included an illegal NDA, after lying to the woman about whether she would have to pay taxes on the settlement funds, and then ghosting her after the settlement agreement with the illegal NDA was signed. These are, of course, only allegations at this point, but if true that is among the most horrible unethical conduct by an attorney I have ever heard of.
Here's the lawsuit: https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/ ... m-club.pdf

Apparently, a settlement was reached in this lawsuit in which Bianco received $84,500. Habba was specifically excluded from the settlement so that she can still be sued for fraudulent inducement.

[N.E. Brigand]

In a filing from Letitia James's office yesterday, the attorney general's office said that Donald Trump's filing was improper and untimely, argued that bonding companies' decision not to accept his properties as collateral suggests that the properties aren't as valuable as he claimed, pointed out that he failed to disclose a relationship with one of the expert witnesses he cited, and suggested that if Trump can't get one company to cover the $464 bond in full, he should try to secure a number of smaller bonds from different companies.

On social media today, Trump takes a page from Perry Como. Yeah, that's the ticket.

[N.E. Brigand]

The AP reports on President Biden's appearance at a campaign fundraiser. Biden began "to tell the story about a person coming up to him with crushing debt. Biden said he responded: 'Donald, I can't help you.'"

[Sunsilver]

Yeah, I wouldn't think so...

[Dave_LF]

Belittling Trump for being trapped beneath crushing debt is not the way to win voters over. Pointing out all the things the Biden administration has done to assist debtors and publicly directing him toward programs that could help would have been far more effective.

[N.E. Brigand]

Belittling Trump for being trapped beneath crushing debt is not the way to win voters over. Pointing out all the things the Biden administration has done to assist debtors and publicly directing him toward programs that could help would have been far more effective.

Fair enough. I found a second report from the event that indicates Biden was a little more sympathetic to public needs.

(Edited to add: apparently he told the same joke at more than one event. These are from the Gridiron Dinner.)

We know not everyone is feeling the progress we're making. We're committed to helping the little guy. Ron DeSantis, though, won't take our calls.

Our big plan to cancel student debt doesn't apply to everyone. Just yesterday, a defeated-looking man came up to me and said, "I'm being crushed by debt. I'm completely wiped out." I said, "Sorry, Donald, I can't help you."

As it happens, per NBC, the Biden administration today approved another $6 billion in student loan forgiveness for 78,000 public service workers (e.g., "teachers, nurses, and firefighters").

- - - - - - - - -
Meanwhile, two news items in this case today:

1. Judge Engoron, in an effort to make sure that his judgement is properly carried out, has extended the term of retired judge Barbara Jones, the special master overseeing Trump's finances, until 2027 and clarified her powers and responsibilities.

2. A.G. James's office has taken steps to make sure Trump can't sell his 212-acre Seven Springs estate in Westchester County. I'm not sure why. (More here from CNN.)

[N.E. Brigand]

If the banks didn't care that he was lying to them, as some Trump defenders assert, why did he even bother lying to them.