Donald Trump’s eldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr., have lamented Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling, accusing the Democrat of being politically motivated in his decision against them and their father and calling him “a truly cruel man.”
On Friday, Engoron, who is overseeing New York Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud case against the former president, ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties for lying about his wealth. His two eldest sons were also punished for taking part in a scheme to inflate the value of his assets and get more favorable terms from banks and insurers. Newsweek contacted the Trump Organization for comment by email early on Saturday morning. Trump denied any wrongdoing concerning the case.
Engoron didn’t go as far as calling for the dissolution of Trump’s business, but his companies have been placed under court supervision for at least three years. The judge also imposed a three-year ban on the former president from serving as an officer or director of any New York company, while his sons were banned for two years.
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Eric and Donald Jr. Trump had been in charge of day-to-day operations at the Trump Organization since their father relinquished his leadership role in 2017, when he became president. Now, they will have to give up their positions and pay the fines ordered by Engoron, which amount to a total of $4 million each—their share of profits made from the sale of Trump’s Washington, D.C., hotel in 2022.
Following the ruling, Eric Trump wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Engoron was “a truly cruel man,” adding that he is innocent of the charges he has been accused of.
Of Engoron, Eric Trump said: “He knows that every single witness testified to the fact that I had absolutely NOTHING to do with this case (as INSANE as the case truly is). No other judge would ever have allowed my name to be dragged through the mud. This is not justice in America—this is political vengeance by a judge out to get my father, the frontrunner for President of the United States.”
Judge Engoron is truly a cruel man — he knows that every single witness testified to the fact that I had absolutely NOTHING to do with this case (as INSANE as the case truly is). No other judge would ever have allowed my name to be dragged through the mud. This is not justice in…
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) February 16, 2024
In an interview with Fox News on Friday night, Eric Trump added that he and his brothers were “trophies on a wall” for Engoron.
His elder brother Donald Trump Jr. similarly said that the ruling was politically motivated. “We’ve reached the point where your political beliefs combined with what venue your case is heard are the primary determinants of the outcome; not the facts of the case!” he wrote on X.
“It’s truly sad what’s happened to our country and I hope others see it before it’s too late to correct course!”
We’ve reached the point where your political beliefs combined with what venue your case is heard are the primary determinants of the outcome; not the facts of the case!
It’s truly sad what’s happened to our country and I hope others see it before it’s too late to correct course!
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 16, 2024
The ruling financially hurts the Republican presidential frontrunner, who was already ordered to pay $83.3 million for defaming writer Jean E. Carroll. Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s. The former president is also expected to pay interest on the penalties ordered by Engoron.
Trump slammed the ruling as “election interference.” New York Attorney General James, who brought forward the lawsuit against the Republican, commented on the ruling, saying that “justice has been done.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.