Former President of the United States Donald Trump faces an attack on Monday. two crucial deadlines before the New York courts which risk tarnishing his image as a billionaire candidate for office. his re-election in November. Indicted in four criminal cases and already sentenced to very heavy fines in two civil trials, the real estate tycoon and conservative populist tribune must go to Manhattan Criminal Court at 9:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. GMT) to set a new date at his historic trial in a case of payments to an actress of films provide a guarantee that he will pay nearly half a billion dollars in civil fines he was ordered to pay, along with his sons Eric and Don Jr., for financial fraud within their Trump Organization real estate empire in the years 2010. Judge Arthur Engoron in New York court, January 11, 2024 © POOL – SHANNON STAPLETON At the risk of seeing their real estate assets seized and their bank accounts frozen by the local attorney general Letitia James who took them to court in October 2022 until having them convicted by New York judge Arthur Engoron on February 16. If Donald Trump does not provide bail covering at least $454 million in fines plus interest, “his image will change radically in the eyes of many people because he has always presented himself as a successful billionaire”, summarizes for the 'AFP Andrew Weissmann, former federal prosecutor and author of a book on the indictments of the ex-president. – “CorRUMPED Country” – Under pressure, the former Republican tenant of the White House (2017-2021), who dreams of returning there on January 20, 2025, confirmed Monday morning that he would go to court , while once again denigrating the Democratic authorities: “These are rigged deals, all coordinated by the White House and the Department of Justice for the purposes of electoral interference (…) Our country is CORRUPT!” New York State Attorney General Letitia James (c) during the civil fraud trial against the Trump Organization, January 11, 2024 in New York © POOL – Seth Wenig Donald Trump regularly storms against a “phony” civil judgment and an “unconstitutional guarantee requirement” imposed by the “racist” Attorney General James and Judge Engoron “controlled by the Democratic clique”. Ms. James is an African-American judge, elected from the Democratic Party, and occupies both a judicial and political function and role. The Mr. Trump's lawyers say they are unable to provide this bond intended to suspend, for the duration of an appeal, the February judgment which also prohibits Trump father and son from running their businesses in New York for three and two years. The former head of state assured Friday that he had “nearly 500 million dollars in cash, a significant part of which is intended to be used in ( his) campaign” against Democratic President Joe Biden. – Trump “humiliated” – He also benefited from a breath of financial oxygen on Friday with a green light for the IPO of his media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, which could bring him billions of dollars and thus serve as security. Otherwise, Donald Trump will suffer “humiliation”, judge Carl Tobias, professor of law at the University of Richmond (Virginia, east). Because he could be forced to “sell his real estate” or have it “seized” by prosecutor James, like the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue and his building on Wall Street in Manhattan. Mr. Tobias even thinks that the businessman could “declare himself personally bankrupt”. The entrance to Trump Tower in New York, March 21, 2024 © AFP – ANGELA WEISS His lawyers have been multiplying their appeals for months to delay his trials as much as possible, if possible after the presidential election on November 5. For his criminal indictment for payments before the 2016 presidential election to a former porn star, Stormy Daniels, with whom he allegedly had an extramarital affair in 2006, the trial was to begin Monday. But it was pushed back on March 15th by at least a month. Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan must set a new date on Monday for this historic judicial first for a former American president who faces four years in prison. – Postponed by three months – The defense of Donald Trump, 77, requires an adjournment of at least three months, time to study tens of thousands of pages of documents submitted in March to the procedure. Donald Trump's legal woes © AFP – Olivia BUGAULT, Sophie RAMIS The lawyers also want to wait until the Supreme Court in Washington decides this summer on the question of presidential criminal immunity. Donald Trump denies any affair with Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford. He pleaded not guilty to charges of disguising the Trump Organization's accounts to hide the $130,000 paid in October 2016 so that she would keep quiet about a consensual sexual encounter ten years earlier while he was married to Melania Trump. burs-nr/pno/eml All rights of reproduction and representation reserved. © (2024) Agence France-Presse
By Teilor Stone
Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116