In two arguments submitted to the Appellate Division First Department in New York, attorneys for former President Donald Trump contended that the civil fraud case brought against him earlier this year was defective, that no victims were identified, and that the case had run its course.
Many of the same points that Trump’s attorneys have previously made in this lawsuit were included in the two filings, which were submitted late on Friday night.
“These transactions delighted President Trump’s business partners. Attorneys Cliff Robert and Alina Habba contend in a 46-page desperate attempt to spare Mr. Trump from having to pay what they refer to as the “egregious and unconstitutional” $485 million dollar civil fraud judgment that “they benefited enormously, making over $100 million in profits.”
It’s the most recent development in a protracted legal battle that started when a judge determined that Trump and his family members had conspired to falsely overstate their wealth on financial documents, giving them access to advantageous insurance and loan rates to which they might not have otherwise been qualified.
Once more, Habba and Robert maintained that, “contrasting sharply with the current credit market, where default rates are at an all-time high,” none of Trump’s business partners were duped and that they were all paid back on time or early.
Throughout the three-month trial, Robert and Habba adamantly challenged the court’s assessment of Mar-a-Lago’s worth, which ranged from $18 million to $27 million. According to the attorneys, the property is worth more than $1 billion.
Furthermore, they contended that President Trump’s net worth is far higher than the statements reflected, claiming that the financial condition statements that served as the foundation of state Attorney General Letitia James’ case against Trump undervalued the worth of the president’s assets.
The attorneys for the state of New York urged the appeals court to uphold the nearly $500 million fine in their filing last week, citing substantial evidence that Trump had been lying about his wealth for years and claiming that his appeal is devoid of “meritless legal arguments,” despite a plethora of trial evidence that demonstrated his and his co-defendants’ involvement in “fraud and illegality on an enormous scale.”
The trial court erred in applying sanctions against counsel for what the Trump team claims were “good faith” legal arguments, according to a separate brief submitted by the Trump team regarding the fines imposed on the trial attorneys who defended Trump.
Attorney Brian Isaac contended in the brief that it is “It is quite acceptable for a lawyer to present points that a trial judge might find objectionable in order to keep them for review on appeal.”
On September 26, the Appellate Court will have oral arguments.