Judge Engoron Ruling 'Absolutely Devastating' for Donald: Mary Trump

Mary Trump, the estranged niece of Donald Trump, celebrated Judge Arthur Engoron's Friday ruling in the former president's civil fraud trial, calling it "absolutely devastating" for her uncle.

"It's the end of my grandfather's legacy," Mary Trump, a vocal Trump critic, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Today is an emotional day, but one thing is certain: the Engoron decision is absolutely devastating for Donald."

The Context:

New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump, his two adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, the Trump Organization and two firm executives, Allen Weisselberg and Jeff McConney, in September 2022. Engoron found that the former president inflated his assets to get more favorable business loans. Late last year into early January, a trial was held to determine how much Trump and his associates would pay in damages. Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and claimed it was politically motivated.

What We Know:

Engoron, who oversaw the case, ruled on Friday that Trump will have to pay $354.9 million in penalties. Trump, Weisselberg, and McConney will all also be barred from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or other legal entity in the state for three years, according to Engoron's ruling.

Weisselberg and McConney are also banned from serving in a financial role in a New York corporation or similar business entity indefinitely. In addition, Weisselberg was ordered to pay $1 million.

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were ordered to each pay more than $4 million, and both were banned from doing business in the state for two years.

Along with being temporarily barred from his businesses, the former president will have to continue having a financial monitor for three years.

Views:

Donald Trump Jr. denounced Engoron's decision and suggested it 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!"

James wrote on X on Friday, "In a massive victory, we won our case against Donald Trump for engaging in years of incredible financial fraud to enrich himself."

In a follow-up post, James said, "Today, justice has been served. This is a major win for everyone who believes that we must all play by the same rules. No matter how big, how rich, or how powerful you are, no one is above the law. Not even Donald Trump."

Meanwhile in her X post, Mary Trump added: "It has taken over half a century but Donald's ability to commit fraud with impunity has come to an end—at least in New York—and trust me, that matters to him."

What's Next?

Trump remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination despite a host of legal troubles.

He is under indictment in four criminal cases, including one in New York related to hush money payments he made to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. The judge overseeing that case set a March 25 trial date.

Trump has also been charged in Florida for his handling of classified documents and in Washington, D.C., and Georgia for his alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in all four cases and plans to appeal Engoron's decision, according to his lawyer.

"President Trump will of course appeal and remains confident the Appellate Division will ultimately correct the innumerable and catastrophic errors made by a trial court untethered to the law or to reality," Christopher Kise told Newsweek.

Update 2/16/24, 4:40 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Update 2/16/24, 4:31 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Update 2/16/24, 5:05 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.