In an interview on Breitbart News Daily, Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, emphasized her intention to respond to the ruling in New York’s fraud case against former President Donald Trump with careful consideration and meticulous attention to detail. She indicated that her response would be focused on the appeal process, suggesting that its content would be both comprehensive and impactful, stating, “you can read it and weep.”
Habba addressed the trial and the aftermath following New York Judge Arthur Engoron’s decision to compel Trump to pay $355 million in response to allegations of fraud. Additionally, the judge imposed a three-year ban on Trump’s business activities in the Empire State.
“Let’s just go to common sense, because the order that you’re reading is not common sense. It’s absolutely absurd … and for me to try to explain to you how Judge Engoron got to his ridiculous number would mean I have to go speak about politics and the problem with the dual justice system and election interference right now. But the numbers are what they are. What bank, whatever, just write a check. So that’s how they feel they had a right to come in under a consumer fraud statute that’s never been used in this way and butt their nose into two private, sophisticated individuals in a contract that has never been breached. No loan defaults, no loss of money, no victims, no damages,” she said, adding that banks had nothing to do with the lawsuit and actually testified that they loved working with the Trump Organization.
“Ms. [Letitia] James is supposed to value properties now? She’s got a bunch of associates under her, giving you what they think the value of Trump Tower is, and that’s the basis of a lawsuit?” Habba continued, pointing to the absurdity of the entire case.
“Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank and Trump have no problems, no lawsuits. No one’s saying they lost money. No one’s saying they were hurt. Everyone’s saying we did our due diligence. Trump’s saying we did our due diligence. Everybody looks at the values. They put a number on it, they get a deal. They make a contract, and then they’re good on the terms of that contract. Where is the harm? Because Ms. James and Judge Engoron say Mar-a-Lago is worth $18 million?” she asked, adding that these people “live in this world where they frankly, have no real knowledge.”
“If you look at Judge Engoron he made a terrible decision that was reversed, hurting landlords and tenants in the state of New York, and he’s known for that. He has said on the record, that even if a jury says something and gets it wrong, he won’t agree with it, and he can use his own powers as a judge to completely disregard what a jury says,” she said. “This is who we are dealing with.”
“So if you want me to make sense of a nonsensical order, I just would assure you that number one, I’m not going to do it today. I’m going to do it thoughtfully, methodically, and it’s going to be on the appeal,” Trump’s lawyer said.
“And you know, you can read it and weep, but that’s where we are at right now,” she added.
