New York Attorney General Letitia James is maintaining a public record of the growing interest on the substantial penalty imposed on former President Donald Trump following the recent civil fraud trial—and trolling him with a daily reminder about how much he owes.
Earlier this month, Judge Arthur Engoron imposed a financial penalty of $354.8 million on Trump, along with an additional sum of around $100 million in pre-judgment interest. The ruling came as a consequence of the judge's determination that Trump had artificially inflated his net worth with the intention of securing more favorable loan terms.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, James noted that Trump owed $464,576,230.62."
Subsequently, she continued to track the interest over the next 24 hours, revealing an addition of "+$114,553.04."
On Sunday, the updated amount reached "$464,805,336.70."
The official verdict offers Trump a 30-day window to file an appeal, which Trump filed Monday morning. Simultaneously, within the same timeframe, he is required to deposit "sufficient funds" into a court-controlled account or secure a bond covering the entire amount, as specified by James's office.
Conservatives have lashed out at James over her posts.
Many others, however, were here for James' expert trolling.
Last week, James informed ABC News that she is ready to take possession of the former President's assets if he fails to procure the funds required to settle the fine:
"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."
Expressing strong confidence in the case, James emphasized that her office would not hesitate to seize specific assets, including Trump's 40 Wall Street skyscraper, should he be unable to meet the financial obligations outlined in the court-ordered disgorgement.
James directly refuted Trump's claim that the case lacked victims, asserting the significance of her case in safeguarding fair treatment in financial markets for New Yorkers. She said Trump's fraud "wasn't just a simple mistake, a slight oversight, the variations are wildly exaggerated, and the extent of the fraud was staggering."
James pointed out that if average New Yorkers "went into a bank and submitted false documents, the government would throw the book at them, and the same should be true for former presidents."
