Former President Donald Trump said Friday he has nearly $500 million on hand, which is more than he must secure by Monday to post an appeal bond in his New York civil fraud case.


What You Need To Know

  • Former President Donald Trump said Friday he has nearly $500 million on hand, which is more than he must secure by Monday to post an appeal bond in his New York civil fraud case

  • On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, in all capital letters: “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 also claimed, without evidence, Judge Arthur Engoron knew how much cash Trump had available and that Trump had planned to use it for his campaign and “wanted to take it away from me"

  • Engoron has ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties plus nearly $100 million in pre-judgment interest for fraudulently inflating his net worth in order to secure more favorable loans for his business

On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, in all capital letters: “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.”

The presumptive GOP presidential nominee repeated he has “done nothing wrong.” Trump also claimed, without evidence, Judge Arthur Engoron knew how much cash Trump had available and that Trump had planned to use it for his campaign and “wanted to take it away from me, and that’s where and why he came up with the shocking number.”

Engoron’s office has not responded to an email from Spectrum News seeking comment.

Trump has not contributed his own money to his presidential campaigns since 2016. He has repeatedly claimed, also without evidence, the civil and criminal cases against him are attempts at "election interference" by Democrats.

Engoron has ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties plus nearly $100 million in pre-judgment interest for fraudulently inflating his net worth in order to secure more favorable loans for his business. All told, with the other defendants, the sum has surpassed $464 billion.

Trump plans to appeal the ruling but must post a bond for the full amount by Monday. Trump’s lawyers argued that Trump should not have to pay the bond because the sum is “patently unjust, unreasonable and unconstitutional” and that paying it would cause Trump “irreparable harm.”

“If I sold assets, and then won the appeal, the assets would be forever gone,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, Trump’s attorneys told the court the former president hasn’t been able to secure a bond for the full amount despite contacting about 30 underwriters because they insist on liquid assets rather than real estate. 

“The practical impossibility of obtaining a bond interferes with Defendants’ right to appeal and threatens this Court’s appellate jurisdiction,” Trump’s legal team argued in a court filing.

Spectrum News reached out to one of Trump’s attorneys and his campaign Friday asking them to clarify whether Trump was implying in his social media post that he has the money needed to pay the bond Monday. Neither has responded.

If Trump’s bond requirement is not reduced or suspended and he cannot pay it, he faces the possibility that New York state Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the fraud case against him, will seize some of his real estate.

James said in an interview with ABC News last month, “If he 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.” She added, “I look at 40 Wall St. each and every day.”

40 Wall St. is the address of The Trump Building, a 72-story office tower the former president has owned since 1995.

According to multiple reports, James last month made an official notification of the civil fraud court award against Trump in Westchester County, which is a first step a creditor would take before trying to seize a property. The former president owns a Trump National Golf Club and the 212-acre Seven Springs estate in Westchester County.

Earlier this month, Trump posted a $92 million bond as he appeals another ruling in which he was found of defaming advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. 

Trump’s net worth could soon be on the rise after a publicly traded shell company, Shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corp., on Friday approved a deal to merge with Truth Social, bringing the social media site to the Nasdaq stock market.

Trump’s stake in the company could surpass $3 billion. But Trump won't be able to cash out the Friday deal's windfall immediately, unless some things change, due to a “lock-up” provision that prevents company insiders from selling newly issued shares for six months.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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