Trump received a brutal punishment in his civil fraud case in New York. Does this punishment signify political corruption in the state?
From New York Post. Oscar Wilde wrote that “moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” Justice Arthur Engoron took that line to heart with his absurd imposition of $455 million in fines and interest against Donald Trump and his corporation.
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It succeeded wonderfully with New Yorkers, who celebrated the verdict like a popular public execution. It also worked wonderfully to make it difficult to appeal.
Much of the criticism of the decision focused on the unprecedented use of the law and the excessive size of the fine. …
Even the New York Times agreed that it could not find a single case in history where this statute was used against an individual or a company that did not commit a criminal offense, go bankrupt, or leave financial victims.
Engoron then combined that unprecedented application with an equally extraordinary penalty, which is greater than the gross national product of some countries.
He disgorged hundreds of millions in a case where not one dollar was lost by anyone. …
Under New York law, Trump cannot appeal this ruling without depositing the full amount, including interest, in a court account. Even for Trump, $455 million is hard to come by. Likewise, a bond would require a company to guarantee payment for a defendant who has been barred from doing business in New York and is facing the need to liquidate much of his portfolio. …
The combination of the draconian fine and the threshold deposit for appeal has produced a shudder throughout the New York business community. The city is already experiencing an exodus of businesses and individuals from the top tax brackets. …
Watching the celebrations probably caused many executives to check time shares in Florida. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has rushed to assure businesses that there is “nothing to worry about” after the corporate public execution of Trump and his company.
But the best that politicians like Hochul … can offer is that you have nothing to fear from confiscatory actions unless you are Trump in New York. …
The message is that you can expect blind and equal justice so long as you don’t run afoul of the Democrats in power. …
This should shock the conscience of anyone concerned about the integrity and fairness of the New York legal system. …
What do you think of Trump’s civil fraud case? Was the verdict fair? Was the punishment justified? Share your thoughts and prayers below.
(Excerpt from New York Post. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America – Donald Trump, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons)