Trump appeals fraud ruling that cancels his New York business licenses

Former President Donald Trump appealed a judge's decision which determined he committed fraud when valuing his assets and ordered the revocation of his business licenses.

New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron issued the ruling as part of New York Attorney General Letitia James's fraud case against the former president. Engoron determined in summary judgment that James had proven the case's core claim that Trump overvalued his assets to secure more favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums. 

Trump's legal team filed the appeal with the Appellate Division, First Department in New York, according to The Hill. A non-jury trial to assess the remainder of James's claims is ongoing. Engoron is the presiding judge.

James is seeking $250 million in damages and an order barring Trump from doing business in New York, the latter of which she has already secured. Trump, for his part, considers the case a political attack and part of a broader witch hunt designed to derail his 2024 White House bid.

Engoron, a Democrat, has also attracted the former president's ire due to the ruling.

"We have a rogue judge who ruled that properties were worth a tiny fraction, one one-hundredth, a tiny fraction of what they actually are," Trump said on Monday. "Just so you know, my financial statements are phenomenal. They are actually less in terms of the numbers used than the actual net worth. The actual net worth is substantially more. No bank was affected. No bank was hurt. They don't even know why they have to be involved."

Throughout the trial, Trump has fumed over the proceedings and criticized both James and members of Engoron's staff. One now-deleted post referring to the clerk of the court as "Schumer's girlfriend" that featured a picture of the clerk with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer prompted the judge to impose a limited gag order barring participants from discussing members of his staff in public.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.