'Trump could be having difficulty' as Alina Habba begs judge for 'mercy' on payout: expert

Former President Donald Trump's attorney is begging New York Judge Lewis Kaplan to give just a little more time on the deadline to begin enforcement of Trump's $83.3 million defamation judgment in the E. Jean Carroll case, reported MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin on Wednesday.

This comes after Habba and fellow Trump attorney John D. Sauer made another filing asking that either the stay be renewed, or to reduce the bond Trump is required to put up while appealing the decision.

"In a new letter tonight, Alina Habba is asking Judge Lew Kaplan — who has yet to rule on Trump's request to stay enforcement of the $83.3 million E. Jean Carroll judgment as his post-trial motions are resolved — for some mercy," wrote Rubin in a series of posts on X. "Specifically, she notes that the existing stay expires Monday and asks that if Kaplan does not rule by tomorrow, he should at least stay enforcement of the judgment for three business days after that ruling."

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"What does this mean? Trump could be having difficulty arranging for a bond of $91-plus million, which is what will be required to cover the judgment and interest, and expecting that Kaplan will deny his request for a longer stay, he is trying to buy himself time to obtain one or free up sufficient cash," she continued.

All of this is coming at the same time that Trump is trying to get out of paying the bond in the other New York civil case, involving the business fraud complaint from state Attorney General Letitia James.

In that case, Trump, his adult sons, and his former accountant were found liable for $464 million in fines and interest, and temporarily restricted from doing business in New York.