NY AG Says Court Should Reject Trump’s Request To Get Out Of Paying $464 Million Bond

The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James urged the New York state Supreme Court on Wednesday to reject former President Donald Trump’s “extraordinary” request to waive or reduce the $464 million bond he owes following his civil fraud conviction.

In a filing, James’ office slammed Trump’s assertion that it is “a practical impossibility” for him to obtain a $464 million bond from a lender as “procedurally improper” and reliant on sources with “personal financial interest[s] in the outcome of the case.”

The document was in reply to Trump’s request for relief from the nearly half-billion bond, and was submitted by senior assistant solicitor general Dennis Fan.

The New York high court found Trump guilty of civil fraud on Feb. 16 for falsifying the business records of the Trump Organization in order to obtain favorable loans for years, in a case brought by James’ office. Trump was ordered to pay $464 million to cover the amount he unlawfully obtained through his fraud, plus interest.

The former president has since appealed his conviction. He’s now required to post the full financial penalty, or else James’ office could begin to seize his properties to collect on the penalty.

A person seeking a bond to cover a judgment on appeal must put forward collateral in excess of the amount owed.

Trump filed a statement to the court on Monday arguing that 30 bond companies rejected his efforts to obtain a $464 million bond. He claimed that he does not have the available cash to put forward as collateral, and only one of the 30 bond companies Trump reportedly contacted was willing to accept “hard assets,” like physical real estate properties, in lieu of cash.

After “countless hours negotiating with one of the largest insurance