Top Naija News: Nigerian News, Breaking News Nigeria and World News Top Naija News is a daily news publication in Nigeria, delivering the latest breaking news in Nigeria and around the world.
Donald Trump claimed he has half a billion dollars in cash ahead of the deadline to pay the $454million New York fraud fine.
The former president disclosed this during a series of rants on Truth Social.
He didn’t mention paying the bond and insisted that a ‘substantial amount’ of the huge haul of money was set aside for his campaign.
Trump also hinted that New York Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Engoron chose the huge fine to stop him from running for president.
The rant came hours after it was revealed James had made her first moves to seize properties in Westchester and after his lawyers asked the court to delay the judgment or lower it to a fraction of the amount, citing the inability to obtain underwriting.
The attorney general formally registered judgements in Westchester County where Trump has the two properties just north of Manhattan on March 6.
According to the county clerk’s online database, the judgements were registered against Trump, the Trump Organization, and his two adult sons Don Jr. and Eric. The action was first reported by Bloomberg News.
That could be a signal that James intends to slaps liens on Trump’s luxury Seven Springs property or his golf property in the county.
Trump has until Monday to pay the fine, or his accounts could be frozen and the process to seize his assists could begin. Trump’s prized Manhattan assets, from his stake in the Art Deco skyscraper at 40 Wall Street to Trump Tower could be at risk.
In the all-caps message on Friday morning, Trump wrote:
‘THROUGH HARD WORK, TALENT, AND LUCK, I CURRENTLY HAVE ALMOST FIVE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN CASH, A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WHICH I INTENDED TO USE IN MY CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT.
‘THE OFTEN OVERTURNED POLITICAL HACK JUDGE ON THE RIGGED AND CORRUPT A.G. CASE, WHERE I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG, KNEW THIS, WANTED TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME, AND THAT’S WHERE AND WHY HE CAME UP WITH THE SHOCKING NUMBER WHICH, COUPLED WITH HIS CRAZY INTEREST DEMAND, IS APPROXIMATELY $454,000,000.
‘I DID NOTHING WRONG EXCEPT WIN AN ELECTION IN 2016 THAT I WASN’T EXPECTED TO WIN, DID EVEN BETTER IN 2020, AND NOW LEAD, BY A LOT, IN 2024.THIS IS COMMUNISM IN AMERICA!
He added: THE NEW YORK A.G. USED A STATUTE TO GO AFTER ME THAT HAS NEVER BEEN USED BEFORE, NOT ONCE, FOR SUCH A PURPOSE. IT, IN AND OF ITSELF, IS SOOO UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND UNFAIR.
‘UNDER THIS STATUTE, I GET NO JURY AND HAVE NO RIGHTS. All DECISIONS AND RIGHTS ARE GIVEN TO, IN THIS CASE, A CORRUPT, TRUMP HATING JUDGE, WHO CAME UP WITH A CRAZY, OUT OF THIN AIR AWARD, IN ORDER TO DAMAGE ME POLITICALLY, AND NOT ALLOW ME TO USE ANY OF THE LARGE AMOUNT OF CASH I HAVE BUILT UP OVER THE YEARS, THROUGH HARD WORK, INSIGHT, INSTINCT, AND DILIGENCE, ON MY POLITICAL CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT.
‘THAT IS JUST WHAT CROOKED JOE BIDEN WANTED THIS POLITICAL HACK, COUPLED WITH A CORRUPT AND RACIST ATTORNEY GENERAL, TO DO. I DID NOTHING WRONG!
‘THIS IS SIMPLY A “TAKING.” MUCH LIKE WHAT IS DONE IN COMMUNIST COUNTRIES, AND WILL LEAVE AN IRREPARABLE STAIN ON NEW YORK STATE AND ITS JUDICIAL SYSTEM. IT IS TOTALLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL, INCLUDING THE HARSH GAG ORDER IMPOSED.
THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS WAS ALREADY RULED ON, FOR ME!’
His claim to have almost half a billion in cash smacks up against arguments in legal filings by his lawyers, who claim Trump has been unable to obtain underwriting for a bond.
