Former President Donald Trump Wednesday asked the court to accept a $100 million bond instead of the demanded $450 million Judge Arthur Engoron ruled he's liable for in fraud damages, according to court records and legal experts.
Trump filed an emergency application to a New York appeals court arguing it was not necessary for him to pay the full amount because Engoron's ruling was faulty and the Trump Organization is watched by a court-appointed monitor, MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin noted.
"The obvious point of such a facially absurd award is not to deprive Appellants of some purported 'ill-gotten gains,' but, rather, to impose a half a billion-dollar penalty for engaging in transactions with satisfied counterparties," the filing states.
"The presence of a $100 million bond would only augment the security originally deemed sufficient by the Attorney General."
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The massive filing is more than 1,790 pages and makes a lengthy case for a smaller payment amount.
Speculation — and interest of about $112,000 per day — has been mounting since Engoron issued his ruling as to where Trump would come up with the cash he needs to hand over to the court even as he pursues his appeal.
Legal experts say his options include selling off properties or securing a bond, both of which come with challenges.
They did not predict Trump would start selling gold sneakers, but have suggested the shoes' red soles could land Trump back in civil court.
