NY Attorney General Asks Court to Reinstate Trump’s Civil Fraud Penalty

New York’s attorney general has asked the state’s highest court to reinstate President Donald Trump’s massive civil fraud penalty, appealing a lower court ruling that reduced the potential half-billion-dollar fine to zero, Michael R. Sisak reported for the Associated Press (AP).

In a statement after the ruling, James stressed: “It should not be lost to history: yet another court has ruled that the president violated the law, and that our case has merit.” (Photo: Letitia James Facebook)

Attorney General Letitia James’ office filed a notice of appeal with the state Court of Appeals, seeking to overturn the mid-level Appellate Division’s decision last month that the penalty violated the US Constitution’s ban on excessive fines.

The appellate panel erased the fine but upheld other punishments and affirmed that Trump committed fraud by inflating his wealth on financial statements provided to banks and insurers.

In a statement after the ruling, James stressed: “It should not be lost to history: yet another court has ruled that the president violated the law, and that our case has merit.”