Trump claims to have come up with funds for appeal bond
February saw former President Donald Trump's civil fraud trial conclude with an order to pay nearly half a billion dollars in damages.
While it initially seemed as though Trump would need a miracle to come up with enough money for an appeal bond, the former president says he now has the cash.
Trump claims to have secured "almost five hundred million dollars in cash"
According to Fox News, Trump made the claim late last week in a series of posts on Truth Social, the social media platform he founded two years ago.
"Through hard work, talent, and luck, I currently have almost five hundred million dollars in cash, a substantial amount of which I intended to use in my campaign for president," Trump wrote on Friday.
Trump says he has nearly $500M in cash, suggests he could afford bond in New York AG case, slams 'hack' judge https://t.co/BaO2C5kNvM
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 23, 2024
The former president then went on to take shots at New York Judge Arthur Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
"I did nothing wrong except win an election in 2016"
"The often overturned political hack judge on the rigged and corrupt A.G. case, where I have done nothing wrong, knew this, wanted to take it away from me, and that's where and why he came up with the shocking number which, coupled with his crazy interest demand, is approximately $454,000,000," Trump complained.
"I did nothing wrong except win an election in 2016 that I wasn’t expected to win, did even better in 2020, and now lead, by a lot, in 2024. This is communism in America," he insisted.
"No trial, no jury, no crime, no victim, only a crooked judge and a corrupt, Trump hating attorney general who takes her orders directly from the White House. Election interference at a level never seen before!!!" Trump concluded.
Fox News cited an unnamed source as stating that Trump and his legal team are considering "all options on the table" and plan "to exhaust all options."
Trump lawyer challenges constitutionality of bond
"The Trump team is continuing to look at every conceivable option," the source explained, stressing that the former president is "hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst."
Fox News further pointed out that if Trump's appeal request is granted, then the size of his bond could be reduced by a significant amount.
The network also reported this past Thursday that Trump's lawyers have argued that the magnitude of the bond is unconstitutional.
"It would be completely illogical — and the definition of an unconstitutional Excessive Fine and a Taking — to require Defendants to sell properties at all, and especially in a ‘fire sale,’ in order to be able to appeal the lawless Supreme Court judgment, as that would cause harm that cannot be repaired once the Defendants do win, as is overwhelmingly likely, on appeal," attorney Clifford S. Robert wrote in a filing.
