Letitia James

'They had a duty': Experts erupt over Trump lawyers' potential 'deception' on fraud bond

Donald Trump's lawyers may have made misrepresentations to the court regarding the former president's bond in his civil fraud case, and legal experts are looking out for what comes next.

ProPublica reported on Friday that Trump's attorneys "had told the appellate court it was a 'practical impossibility' to get a bond for the full amount of the lower court’s judgment, $464 million."

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'That bank has problems': New questions raised about Trump appeals bond insurer

Questions raised by New York Attorney General Letitia James about the man who stepped in to finance Donald Trump's $175 million appeals bond took center stage on MSNBC's "The Weekend" on Sunday morning with even more questions being raised.

Sitting down with co-hosts Alicia Menendez, Michael Steele and Symone Sanders-Townsend. MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin noted that Don Hankey, chair of the LA-based Hankey Group and owner of the Knight Specialty Insurance Company, has given conflicting answers about collateral his company accepted when putting up the bond for Trump's financial fraud conviction appeal.

Speaking with the hosts, she explained, "Don Hankey has given a number of interviews, he's been surprisingly forthcoming with a number of outlets including our own, but his precise statements have differed a little. But he told one outlet it was all in cash, he told another it was cash and a little bit of investment-grade bonds but he couldn't quite remember."

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"If somebody pledged collateral to me and I wasn't usually in the surety bond business, I would sure as heck remember what the collateral looked like if I was going to loan them or essentially put up for them $175 million. James has reasonable questions to ask," she elaborated.

Delving deeper into what would happen if Trump lost his appeal and had to come up with the close to half billion he was penalized, Rubin pointed out the dilemma Hankey and Trump would both face.

"Trump has to cover the difference and how he does that remains a mystery," the legal analyst told the panel. "In part because it's not securitized for the rest as Chuck [Rosenberg] just pointed out."

"If and when James wins on appeal to the full satisfaction of that $454 million — and by the way, that will grow by the day with post-judgment interest, if upheld on appeal it will be substantially larger than that by the time we reach that judgment months in the future— she will have to figure out where Donald Trump's assets are, which of them she can most quickly seize or enforce upon," she explained. "Many of them are already pledged to other lenders. For example, we know that Axos Bank in which Don Hankey is the largest individual shareholder, has $225 million of outstanding loans to Donald Trump on just two properties: the commercial portion of Trump Tower and the Doral Golf Course."

"Mmm-hmm. There it is," co-host Steele interjected as Sanders-Townsend exclaimed, "That bank has problems."

Watch below or at the link.

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Trump launches new attack on E. Jean Carroll — then compares himself to Nelson Mandela

Saturday afternoon, just hours before he is set to appear at a gala fundraiser in Palm Beach, Donald Trump lashed out at three New York judges in a three-part furious rant about how he has been treated by the legal system.

Along the way, he also attacked New York writer E. Jean Carroll who successfully sued him for defamation and was awarded $91 million in damages over two trials.

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‘Good news’: Mary Trump says ‘spotlight’ now being put on uncle’s bond deal

Mary Trump said Friday she applauds New York Attorney General Letitia James for vetting the $175 million bond her uncle former President Donald Trump tried to file in his civil fraud trial.

Trump also skewered Don Hankey — "the king of the subprime auto loan" who backed the bond James now seeks to investigate — in the most recent issue of The Good In Us.

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'Ivana rolling in her grave': Trump golf course at epicenter of quake spurs weird theories

The far-right gets a lot of credit for concocting conspiracy theories linked to the highest level of government, but an earthquake near former President Donald Trump's golf Friday gave Democrats a chance to shine.

Donald Trump’s National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, Friday was at the epicenter of a magnitude 4.8 earthquake that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) warned was a message from God to "repent."

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House Dems introduce law to name Miami prison after Trump

Some House Democrats proved willing this week to honor former President Donald Trump's legacy with the official dedication of a government building in his name: a Florida federal prison.

Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) on Friday will introduce legislation to rename Federal Correctional Institution, Miami — where Trump's former adviser Peter Navarro is currently incarcerated — as the Donald J. Trump Federal Correctional Institution, according to CBS News' congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane.

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Expert says Letitia James has two ways to get 'not yet public' Trump bond information

New York Attorney General Letitia James wants answers on how former President Donald Trump's bond in the civil fraud case is structured — and she is strategizing multiple avenues to get the information she needs, wrote legal expert Lisa Rubin on X.

"Earlier today, the New York Attorney General filed a motion seeking more information about Trump's $175 million bond in their case," wrote Rubin. "But they're also apparently going at the issue sideways as well through a letter sent to Judge Arthur Engoron tonight."

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Judge schedules a hearing to find out if Trump's bond sponsor is properly backed

Judge Arthur Engoron responded to a brief filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James asking for financial information that can confirm the company that insured Donald Trump's bond was solvent.

Donald Trump was found liable for damages of $454 million, which ballooned after interest. He then asked the court to reduce the bond amount to $175 million, and the court agreed. He then secured a bond sponsor from the Knight Speciality Insurance Company.

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'Absurdity and foolishness': Eric Trump has MAGA meltdown over challenge to $175M bond

Former President Donald Trump's son Eric suffered a MAGA meltdown Thursday after New York Attorney General Letitia James raised concerns about his father's $175 million bond.

Eric Trump took to X to sputter outrage that James wanted proof that the insurer backing Trump's $464 million civil fraud ruling is "financially sound."

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Trump accused by prosecutor of withholding information during $464M civil fraud trial

New York Attorney General Letitia James accused former President Donald Trump of withholding information during his civil fraud trial and demanded more information about former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg's recent perjury plea, court records show.

James filed Thursday a letter to Justice Arthur Engoron requesting a monitor be allowed to investigate the matter, citing an email about the Trump Tower triplex — which was reported to be three times its actual size — the Attorney General says she never received.

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Trump ordered to give deposition after being hit by latest lawsuit

Lawyers for the co-founders of Donald Trump's social media company will depose the former president later this month in regards to the dispute over who owns the Trump Media & Technology Group.

As Reuters points out, the deposition will take place on April 15th, which is the same day jury selection is scheduled to begin for his New York hush money criminal trial. Depositions are sometimes rescheduled due to scheduling conflicts.

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Letitia James demands proof that company that posted Trump's bond is 'financially sound'

New York Attorney General Letitia James submitted a filing on Thursday asking for proof that the company covering Donald Trump's $175 million bond in his fraud case is actually "financially sound."

James told the New York City civil court — where Trump was found liable for damages upwards of $464 million — that she had serious concerns about Knight Speciality Insurance Company's agreement with the former president.

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'Especially pathetic': Op-ed explains why MAGA risk arrest and poverty on Trump's behalf

Former President Donald Trump's loud support for Jan. 6 rioters represents a dark attempt to "convince followers to risk their own skins in the future" on the former president's behalf, a new opinion piece posits. It then asks the question: why do they let him?

Salon columnist Amanda Marcotte noted Thursday that while Trump floats promises of pardons, he does not offer material support to the more than 1,300 people who have been charged with crimes related to the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021.

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