Former independent deputy prosecutor Sol Wisenberg on Friday criticized former President Donald Trump's civil fraud verdict, calling it “highly questionable.”
New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit in September 2022, accusing President Trump of inflating the value of his real estate holdings. Judge Arthur Engoron's ruling ordered Trump to pay more than $350 million and barred him from serving as an officer or director of any New York company or organization for three years. (Related article: 'Clear injustice': Legal experts react to President Trump's New York fraud verdict)
“I certainly do not see how the portion of the judgment imposing a $355 million judgment is supported by the evidence, because, as the judge pointed out in the first paragraph of his opinion, Because, as you pointed out, there's no detriment. It's the banks,” Weisenberg told “The Ingraham Angle” guest host Jeanine Pirro. “The debt has been paid off. Sure, you can legally engage in all kinds of fraud if the victim doesn't lose money, but we'll impose a $355 million fine and give him three… It seems to me that imposing a two-year ban on his sons is completely out of proportion to the actual loss (zilch) here.”
clock:
“My question to you is, where were these people for 35 years before Donald Trump was announced as the presidential candidate?” Weisenberg asked. “Why didn't these people investigate this alleged fraud? Folks, if there was fraud going on, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the District Attorney's Office for Manhattan, would be doing their job at all. You don't see it, you don't seem to be making any effort. Look even at how former President Trump became a controversial politician.”
james promised The purpose is to investigate Trump's finances during his 2018 campaign for attorney general.
“I think it's very constitutionally questionable to basically impose a $355 million judgment in a no-loss case,” Weisenberg said. “That's surprising to me. I've never seen anything like that happen.”
All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers with large audiences. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.