Trump Asks Court to Let Him Post $100 Million Bond For Appeal — Less than 25% of the Amount He Owes

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Former President Donald Trump wants to make a deal. On Wednesday, his legal team asked an appeals court if Trump could post a $100 million bond instead of the $454 million he now owes following civil fraud trial in New York.

According to The New York Times, the amount Trump is offering up, which is less than a quarter of what he owes, is “a clear sign that the former president lacks the money to cover the full amount.” His team also asked for a delay in the enforcement of the penalties he was slapped with, including the three-year ban on doing business in New York. In their filing, they wrote:

The exorbitant and punitive amount of the judgment coupled with an unlawful and unconstitutional blanket prohibition on lending transactions would make it impossible to secure and post a complete bond.

NYT explained:

Unless the appeals court accepts the $100 million bond or grants Mr. Trump additional time, the attorney general can collect at any moment. Under New York law, [New York Attorney General Letitia James] can seize Mr. Trump’s bank accounts and potentially take control of his New York properties.

In her own filing, James urged the appeals court not to take the offer:

There is no merit to defendants’ contention that a full bond or deposit is unnecessary because they are willing to post a partial undertaking of less than a quarter of the judgment amount. Defendants all but concede that Mr. Trump has insufficient liquid assets to satisfy the judgment.

In addition to the $454 million judgment in Trump’s civil fraud case, he also owes writer E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million after being found liable of defaming her.