Trump lashes out after New York fraud ruling

Former President Trump lashed out against a judge’s ruling Friday banning him from running companies in New York for three years and ordering him to pay more than $350 million as part of a closely watched fraud case.

In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform after the decision, Trump railed against Judge Arthur Engoron and said there “were No Victims, No Damages, No Complaints.”

He went on to further criticize Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) in multiple posts, saying the New York case was a “witch hunt” and that he was fined “$355 Million based on nothing other than having built a GREAT COMPANY.”

Trump, in another post, called the decision an “unAmerican judgment against me, my family, and my tremendous business.”

In a third post, the former president said this “‘decision’ is a Complete and Total SHAM.”

He also accused both James and Engoron of unfairly targeting him in the case, which he has characterized as being politically motivated.

The former president also delivered brief remarks from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday evening, where he echoed many of the same sentiments. Trump insisted the case was part of a broader effort intended to damage him politically as he seeks another term in the White House.

Trump is on track to become the Republican presidential nominee in November’s general election, setting up a rematch with President Biden.

“If I weren’t running none of this stuff would have ever happened. None of these lawsuits would have ever happened. I would have had a nice life,” said Trump, who is also facing 91 felony charges across four separate investigations.

The former president, who is slated to hold a campaign rally in Michigan on Saturday, did not take questions from those gathered at Mar-a-Lago.

The comments follow months of statements from the former president repeatedly attacking Engoron as biased. He has levied similar personal attacks against James, who is Black, repeatedly calling her a “racist.”

Trump’s attacks extended beyond Engoron and James at times, prompting Engoron to put in place a gag order that barred the former president and his attorneys from making remarks about court staff.

Additionally, the Trump campaign sent out an email an hour after the ruling calling on his supporters to donate to his presidential bid to “end the which hunt” against him.

Engoron’s 92-page decision came just weeks after closing arguments in the case capped a months-long trial during which Trump frequently lambasted the judge and the prosecutor who brought the case. The ruling delivers a striking blow to the former president’s business empire. 

This story was updated at 6:23 p.m.