A New York court on Friday ordered former U.S. President Donald Trump and other defendants to pay $354.8 million in total in a civil fraud case involving the conglomerate led by Trump Organization Inc.
The ruling for the enormous sum was handed down after Trump, the front-runner in the Republican Party's presidential nomination race, was ordered last month to pay $83.3 million in damages to writer Jean Carroll over defamatory comments he made when he was in office.
New York state attorney general Letitia James, who filed the civil fraud lawsuit, accused the conglomerate of having falsely taken out loans by padding the value of its assets from 2011 to 2021. James demanded the defendants pay back $370 million to the lenders.
The Trump side denied the claim.
Justice Arthur Engoron said in Friday's ruling that the court "finds that defendants are likely to continue their fraudulent ways unless the court grants significant injunctive relief."
Trump, who is seeking to return to the White House through the presidential election in November, sharply reacted to the ruling, saying on his social media platform, "This election interference and tyrannical abuse of power by a crooked judge and crooked attorney general cannot be tolerated."
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