On Tuesday, without the benefit of a trial or a jury, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron unilaterally revoked all New York “business certificates” belonging to former President Donald Trump, his Trump Organization, and his family. In addition, Engoron, a Democrat, found that Trump and his organization committed fraud in New York for years.
The ruling was the result of a civil lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, and found that Trump and his businesses deceived banks, insurers, and others by overvaluing his assets in order to obtain financing on business deals. Experts are referring to the ruling as a “corporate death penalty.”
In his ruling, Engoron declared, “In defendants’ world: rent regulated apartments are worth the same as unregulated apartments; restricted land is worth the same as unrestricted land; restrictions can evaporate into thin air; a disclaimer by one party casting responsibility on another party exonerates the other party’s lies.”
“That is a fantasy world, not the real world,” the Democratic judge concluded.
James took the opportunity to gloat on X.
“Today, a judge ruled in our favor and found that Donald Trump and the Trump Organization engaged in years of financial fraud,” James said. “We look forward to presenting the rest of our case at trial.”
Engoron is set to preside over a non-jury trial beginning October 2, where he will decide on further claims and any punishments he may impose. James is asking for $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York, his home state.
Never at a loss for words, the former president took to Truth Social to air his grievances on the bizarre decision.
“The widespread radical attack against me, my family, and my supporters has now devolved to new, un-American depths, at the hands of a DERANGED New York State Judge, doing the bidding of a completely biased and corrupt ‘Prosecutor,’ Letitia James, who ran for office on a ‘GET TRUMP’ platform, before even knowing anything about me,” Trump posted.
He went on to blame radical left-wing elements for the decision.
“It is a terrible reminder that the Radical Left Democrats will stop at nothing in trying to prevent me, and the American people, from winning the 2024 Presidential Election.”
The former president issued a stern warning about what he feels is a politically motivated and coordinated persecution of him — by polls the current leader in the 2024 presidential race — by Democrats.
“As my lead in the polls over Joe Biden continues to skyrocket, these Corrupt and Highly Political Prosecutors and Judges are getting more and more desperate and dangerous. We are rapidly becoming a Communist Country, and my Civil Rights have been taken away from me…. This is Democrat Political Lawfare and a Witch Hunt at a level never seen before,” Trump said.
Through his attorneys, he vowed to appeal the decision.
“Today’s outrageous decision is completely disconnected from the facts and governing law,” said Christopher Kise, a Trump attorney. “President Trump and his family will seek all available appellate remedies to rectify this miscarriage of justice.”
Two of the president’s sons shed some light on the absurdity of the claim that Trump had overvalued Mar-a-Lago, which Trump claims is worth nearly a billion dollars.
“In an attempt to destroy my father and kick him out of New York, a Judge just ruled that Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach Florida, is only worth [an] approximate “$18 Million,” Eric Trump wrote on X. “Mar-a-Lago is speculated to be worth [well] over a billion dollars making it arguably the most valuable residential property in the country. It is all so corrupt and coordinated.”
The younger Trump then posted listings of smaller, neighboring properties, showing that the judge’s valuation was so off base as to be laughable.
Don Jr. also accused Judge Engoron of political shenanigans.
“Yea, but Mar-a-Lago with 10X the land, ocean frontage, & one of the most spectacular homes in the world on it is worth only $18 million because a judge wants it to be so for his narrative,” Don Jr. posted. “Our legal system has been commandeered by radicals hell bent on destroying America!”
X user KanekoaTheGreat put the absurd judicial valuation into more perspective.
“A New York judge ruled that Trump inflated his property values, including Mar-a-Lago, which the judge determined was worth $18-$27 million from 2011 to 2021. To put this into perspective, neighboring homes on 0.28-0.89 acres are listed for $18-40 million. Mar-a-Lago, the 20-acre property in the middle, is worth less despite being 20 to 70 times larger.”
In the end, Trump is right. The Democratic establishment, whether it’s in Georgia, New York, or Washington, D.C., will stop at nothing in their attempts to have this particular former president disqualified from holding the position again. However, they may have underestimated this man’s hunger for a fight, especially when he thinks he will win.
