Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently failed in his attempt to delay a criminal trial related to hush money payments made to a porn star but did succeed in obtaining a pause in a $454 million judgment in a separate civil fraud case. The criminal trial involves charges of falsifying business records in connection to a payment of $130,000 made to Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged sexual encounter with Trump, which he denies. The judge set an April 15 trial date and rejected Trump’s lawyers’ request for a delay due to late disclosure of documents related to the key witness, Michael Cohen.
In the criminal case, the judge’s decision makes it likely that a verdict will be reached before the upcoming U.S. election, where Trump hopes to unseat President Joe Biden. The judge also dismissed Trump’s bid to have the indictment dismissed following the last-minute disclosure of new evidence, including statements made by Daniels to the FBI. Trump faces indictment in two other cases related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and mishandling of classified documents upon leaving office, with all trials currently delayed due to legal proceedings.
In the civil case, a mid-level state appeals court granted a pause in the enforcement of the $454 million civil fraud judgment against Trump, requiring him to post a $175 million bond within 10 days. This decision provided financial relief to Trump as he faces a cash crunch, with the appeals court not indicating how it will ultimately rule on the case. The judgment found that Trump had fraudulently overstated his net worth to deceive lenders and insurers, and he is appealing the decision which could take up to a year or longer for a resolution.
New York Attorney General Letitia James brought the civil fraud case against Trump, who has maintained his innocence in all legal matters. Trump’s inability to secure a bond was due to rejections from 30 surety companies and mounting expenses from his various legal troubles. However, following the court ruling, Trump announced that he would post the required bond before the deadline, preventing James’ office from seizing his properties in the meantime. The appeals process for the civil case will continue, with the outcome still pending.
