NY AG Requests Trump's Fraud Penalty Be Increased to $370 Million

New York Attorney General Letitia James increased the requested penalty amount in former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud case.

For Context: James’ case argues that Trump inflated the reported size and value of his New York real estate properties in order to gain more favorable loans. At the start of the trial in September, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump did commit fraud, ordering some of the former president’s business licenses be rescinded.

Details: James previously requested a penalty of $250 million, but increased the request to $370 million and a lifetime ban on Trump doing business in New York. James cited additional evidence of  “ill-gotten gains” for her increased penalty request. Trump’s legal team has countered the state’s argument by attributing the inaccurate valuations to “errors or misstatement” that were corrected, also arguing that the allegedly defrauded banks conducted their due diligence prior to issuing the loans. Trump himself has argued on social media that the trial is politically motivated, pointing to the fact that the judge’s clerk has previously donated to Democratic causes to deem the trial unfair and unsuccessfully move for a mistrial. The judge placed Trump under a gag order to prevent him from commenting on the courtroom staff and has fined Trump $15,000 for violating it.

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum covered the development. While left- and center-rated outlets covered the development more frequently and prominently, most coverage devoted equal space to the argument of each side.