I just read Jonathan Turley’s latest opinion piece for the New York Post. In it I found out that New York Attorney General letitia james and judge arthur engoron’s beyond-disgraceful lawfare attack on Donald Trump – an assessment, including backdated penalties of $455 million dollars (NOT a typo) – for a “crime” in which there is no victim, and the people who would have been victimized testified Trump did nothing out of the ordinary – is, incredibly, even worse than I thought it was.
How can that be? Well, Prof. Turley informs us that:
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.
Nothing succeeds like excess for judges like Engoron. By imposing this astronomical figure, he can make it difficult or impossible for a defendant to appeal, absent declaring bankruptcy or selling off assets at distress prices.
And for those who say “Good, Trump got his ass kicked, that’ll teach him. And nobody else is getting hurt”, Mr. Turley tells us this:
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. Rising crime, taxes, and eat-the-rich politics have made New York a hostile environment for businesses. At a time with rising costs from undocumented migrants, even Mayor Eric Adams is alarmed about the loss of his high earners.
The ecstasy expressed by many in the city reinforced the image of a thrill-kill chase around the island of Manhattan, like a corporate version of “Lord of the Flies.”
Watching the celebrations probably caused many executives to check time shares in Florida.
Does anyone with even a minimal understanding of actions and reactions think that, since Trump was nailed for a victimless “crime” in which he did nothing out of the ordinary, other people doing business in the city do not realize they, too, are vulnerable? That if they can do this to Trump they can do this to anyone, including them?
OF COURSE it is going to affect whether and how major players operate in New York. And the effects are sure to be disastrous for New York City and New York State.
So congratulations to Governor Hochul, Attorney General james and judge engoron. You sure have made your point.
I have no doubt that, somewhere in the ether, what is left of King Pyrrhus is smiling broadly, congratulating these three on their “victory”, and saying “It’s nice to see that I’m not the only one…”
