Letitia James says she will ask the judge to seize Trump’s assets if he cannot pay fraud fine
The New York attorney general says she and her team are prepared to make sure the ‘judgment is paid.’
New York Attorney General Letitia James said on Monday that she is prepared to seize former President Donald Trump's assets if he is unable to pay the massive judgment handed down in his civil fraud case.
"If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek, you know, judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets," James told ABC News.
Last week, Trump was barred from operating his business in New York for three years and was found liable for more than $350 million in damages in the civil fraud case brought against him, his family, and the Trump Organization by James.
"We are prepared to make sure that the judgment is paid to New Yorkers," James said of her commitment to ensuring Trump pays the fine. "And yes, I look at 40 Wall Street each and every day (the location of The Trump Building).
New York Attorney General said she is "prepared" to ask the judge to seize former President Donald Trump's assets if he cannot pay the $354 million judgement handed down in his civil fraud case. (ABC News/Screenshot/Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images)
New York Judge Arthur Engoron handed down his ruling Friday after a months-long trial beginning in October and stemming from James' lawsuit alleging the former president inflated his assets and committed fraud.
Engoron ruled that Trump and the other defendants were liable for "persistent and repeated fraud," "falsifying business records," "issuing false financial statements," "conspiracy to falsify false financial statements," "insurance fraud," and "conspiracy to commit insurance fraud."
Trump attorney Christopher Kise slammed the decision, saying the court "ignored the law, ignored the facts, and simply signed off on the Attorney General's manifestly unjust political crusade against the front-running candidate for President of the United States."
TRUMP'S PENALTY CASE COULD CAUSE BIZ EXODUS FROM ‘LEGAL BANANA REPUBLIC’ NEW YORK
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a news conference, Sept. 21, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman, File)
"Today, justice has been served. Today, we proved that no one is above the law. No matter how rich, powerful or politically connected you are," James said at a press conference on Friday after the ruling.
"The scale and the scope of Donald Trump's fraud is staggering and so too is his ego," she added. "And his belief that the rules do not apply to him. Today, we are holding Donald Trump accountable."
The ruling comes weeks after Trump was ordered to pay over $83 million in a defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual assault.
Fox News' Brooke Singman, Anders Hagstrom and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.