Editorial written by the New York Daily News Editorial Board
In ordering defendant Donald Trump to pay New York State more than a third of a billion dollars, Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron cited exact figures of how much Trump was improperly enriched by his cheating and lying.
Engoron used calculations from an expert witness put forward by state Attorney General Tish James, who is to be heartily congratulated for pursuing and beating Trump. Because Trump made up fraudulent statements of his financial condition (SFC) — falsely increasing or lowering the value of his holdings to suit his needs and deceive lenders and insurers — he managed to save substantial sums on interest from duped banks.
On the four loans examined, Trump saved $168,040,168 in interest, which Engoron ordered be paid to the state.
The judge also decided that Trump’s fake SFC let him buy and then sell the Old Post Office in D.C., so that the nice $126,828,600 profit must also be disgorged.
The same for the $60 million Trump gained from his sale of the contract for Ferry Point golf course in the Bronx. Without the fake SFC, there would not have been Trump Links at the foot of the Whitestone Bridge. So that $60 million needs to be remitted to taxpayers. Take out the adding machine to get the full amount due of $354,868,768.
Engoron was much gentler in only barring Trump from doing business in this state for three years, instead of the lifetime prohibition that was possible. Trump’s sons each got a two-year suspension, while the Trump Organization will continue to be overseen by a court-appointed monitor, a retired federal judge.
In his lengthy written verdict Engoron also included a passage describing Trump and his sons: “Their complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological.” Your honor, everyone in America and the world knows that about this family, unfortunately.
All of Trump’s civil and criminal court trouble is because this con man ran and was elected president eight years ago. Before then, he was just a cheat and a liar. It was on Feb. 27, 2019, five years ago, when his convicted bag man Michael Cohen (who was convicted for crimes committed to aid Trump) told a House committee that Trump routinely played around with the value of his properties.
That Cohen confession led to this guilty verdict. Thank you, Mr. Cohen.
It’s similar for the $83,300,000 verdict Trump was ordered by a federal judge to pay E. Jean Carroll for defaming her, on top of the $5 million he already owed her. Had he never been president, it is likely there never would have been a defamation case.
And it’s the same for the four criminal trials now approaching. By putting himself in the White House, Trump invited scrutiny and what investigators found was his true criminal nature, which was evident for many decades to New Yorkers, long before he had his name on a ballot.
Sadly, there are too many Americans who are entertained and engaged by Trump and have given him their support, their votes, and their contributions, money that he uses for his legal bills.
He has now started fundraising off of the Engoron verdict. The Census Bureau says the U.S. population was 335,893,238 as of Jan. 1. So all Trump needs is $1 from each.
