GEIS-新闻详情

Donald Trump’s $355m ruling delivers a near-fatal blow to his ‘fantasy’ world

2024-02-18 00:00:00.0 独立报-世界新闻原网页

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Former president Donald Trump has always had a pile of litigation trailing behind him.

He built his political persona on a narrative of self-made success before he descended his beloved golden escalators to launch his campaign for the presidency, suing and settling his way into office and through decades of “deals” on which he built a brand.

But a months-long trial and a devastating ruling against him on 16 February have pierced the long-running story he tells himself and others, one used to boost his national profile and seduce millions of voters.

A three-year investigation ended with a crushing verdict dealing more than $355m in penalties against him and his entities, an immense figure that, with interest, explodes to $454m, which will only keep growing every day until it’s paid.

The judgment threatens to drain his cash on hand, his ability to keep doing business in his home state, and the future of the company and his real estate portfolio that he has wrapped his fortunes and family into.

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Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling also comes just days after a federal jury’s $83m verdict for his repeated defamation of E Jean Carroll, on top of $5.5m he already owes her for lying about sexually abusing her. Last year, two Trump Organization subsidiaries were also fined more than $1.6m after a jury found the company guilty of more than a dozen charges stemming from what prosecutors described as a 15-year fraud scheme.

The former president has a small army of attorneys across the country, fighting even more lawsuits and dozens of criminal charges in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington DC, with Trump-connected political action committees dumping out tens of millions of dollars on his attorneys and legal fees.

His net worth is largely tied up in his brand name, assets and real estate, but he is estimated to have roughly $425m in cash and liquid assets. If he doesn’t exhaust whatever cash he has to pay the latest penalties against him, his legal jeopardy could make it difficult to find a company willing to secure his bond to appeal it. He could be forced to get rid of his other assets, stripping the Trump name from his properties and airplanes.

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by Taboola by Taboola