New York Attorney General Tish James (D) said this week that the state may seize the assets of former President Donald Trump if he does not pay the fine levied by a state court last week. The $355 million judgment from Judge Arthur Engoron could place a number of Trump’s iconic locations under scrutiny if not outright forfeiture.
James said in a recent interview that if the former president “does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets.”
The attorney general claimed that “financial frauds are not victimless crimes” and accused the former president of “massive” errors. She said that the situation “wasn’t just a simple mistake, a slight oversight, the variations are wildly exaggerated, and the extent of the fraud was staggering.”
“If average New Yorkers went into a bank and submitted false documents, the government would throw the book at them, and the same should be true for former presidents,” she said.
The attorney general said that she looks “at 40 Wall Street each and every day.”
The potential seizure of the colloquially named the Trump Building could cause another major legal space. The 1.3 million square foot building is a landmark of the New York City skyline.
Trump attorney Alina Habba on Judge Engoron and Leticia James ~ “Unfortunately, they picked the wrong guy to pick on.” Can’t wait for the revenge administration in 2025 pic.twitter.com/82y2bwlVF2
— • ᗰISᑕᕼIᗴᖴ ™ • (@4Mischief) February 19, 2024
Trump’s attorney Alina Habba said that she would appeal the decision, calling it a “terrible decision.”
The attorney cited James’ consideration regarding seizing Trump’s properties, asking if the attorney general “is supposed to value properties now?”
“She’s got a bunch of associates under her, giving you what they think the value of Trump Tower is, and that’s the basis of a lawsuit?” Habba said of James and her office.
Habba further said that there were “no problems, no lawsuits” in Trump’s way of doing business, adding that “No one’s saying they lost money. No one’s saying they were hurt.”
She argued that the former president and his team “did our due diligence.”
Trump’s legal team plans to appeal the decision. Trump’s sons Eric and Donald Jr. were also fined in the case.
