Judge formally says Trump owes $454 million in civil fraud case, countdown starts for him to put up the money for appeal

A New York judge formally ordered Donald Trump to pay $454 million, including interest, on Friday, a move that will give the former president one month to post nearly half a billion dollars to appeal the fraud verdict.

Judge Arthur Engoron’s signed judgment was posted to the court docket Friday, one week after he found Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump liable for fraud in the civil case brought by New York Attorney General Letita James.

Once Trump and the others are served with the judgment, the 30-day clock for them to file an appeal starts. During that period Trump will need to put up cash or post bond to cover the $355 million and additional roughly $100 million in interest he was ordered to pay. The sons were each ordered to pay $4 million back in gains they improperly received because of the fraud. The judge also banned the Trumps from serving as officers of a business entity in New York for several years.

Earlier Friday, James posted on X, “Friday feeling: No one is above the law.”

Representatives for the Trump Organization have not responded to questions about who will run the company as it faces leadership challenges while Trump is campaigning to clinch the Republican nomination for president in between court appearances.

Trump has vowed to appeal.

Trump initially asked to delay the judgment for 30 days saying it wouldn’t harm the New York attorney general’s office and would allow for an orderly process given the “magnitude” of the decision. The judge rejected the request saying they didn’t explain or justify a reason to do so.

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The judge notified both sides in an email Thursday that he would sign off on the proposed judgment drafted by the New York attorney general’s office.

“The proposed judgment accurately reflects the spirit and letter of the February 16 Decision and Order,” the judge wrote.

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