Judge Engoron Bans Trump From Doing Business In N.Y. For 3 Years, Must Pay More Than $354M

Judge Arthur Engoron attends the closing arguments in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, January 11, 2024. Trump's legal team will deliver closing arguments January 11 in the fraud case after the judge barred the former president from using the trial finale as an election campaign grandstand. (Photo by SHANNON STAPLETON / POOL / AFP) (Photo by SHANNON STAPLETON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Judge Arthur Engoron attends the closing arguments in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, January 11, 2024. (Photo by SHANNON STAPLETON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN’s Sophia Flores
UPDATED 12:47 PM – Friday, February 16, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/judge-engoron-bans-trump-from-doing-business-in-n-y-for-3-years-must-pay-more-than-354m/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes: 

Judge Arthur Engoron heard deliberations and made his final say in the New York courtroom, declaring that 45th President Donald J. Trump is liable, an expected decision by the liberal judge.  

The Friday verdict, which was revealed in a 92-page ruling, stated that Trump has to pay at least $354 million in the civil fraud trial.

Additionally, Trump is banned from conducting business in New York and serving as an officer or director at any New York corporation or legal entity for three years.

Trump and the Trump Organization is also banned from applying for loans from any financial institution registered with the New York Department of Financial Services for three years.

Additionally, Trump’s two adult sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., are ordered to pay $4 million each for what Judge Engoron referred to as “personal profits from the fraud.” The court similarly banned the two from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or other legal entity for two years.

Former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg was fined $1 million.

This trial was initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James. James accused Trump, his two adult sons, and his top executives of inflating the Trump organization’s net worth in order to gain financial perks, such as better loans from banks.  

When James first sued Trump in the fall of 2022, she asked the judge to penalize Trump $250 million for “inflating his net worth in order to retain better loans.” However, her number later rose to $370 million in January, as she believed that throughout the trial, “he gained all of his money unlawfully.”

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.

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Jury: Trump Must Pay E. Jean Carroll $83.3 Million In Damages

(L) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 17: Former President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference at 40 Wall Street on January 17, 2024 in New York City. Trump held a press conference after leaving the second day of his defamation trial involving E. Jean Carroll. The trial is to determine how much money in damages the former president must pay Carroll as a result of public comments that he made both while he was president and after the jury’s verdict in May. Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages in May from the previous lawsuit. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images) / (R) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 26: E. Jean Carroll arrives at Manhattan federal court in New York as her defamation suit against Donald Trump continues on January 26, 2024 in New York City. Lawyers for both parties are expected to make their final statements today before a jury decides on a financial penalty. Carroll successfully sued Trump for defaming her when he was president, he has denied sexually assaulting her in a New York department store dressing room in the mid 1990's. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

(L) NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 17: Former President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference at 40 Wall Street on January 17, 2024 in New York City. Trump held a press conference after leaving the second day of his defamation trial involving E. Jean Carroll. The trial is to determine how much money in damages the former president must pay Carroll as a result of public comments that he made both while he was president and after the jury’s verdict in May. Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages in May from the previous lawsuit. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images) / (R) NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 26: E. Jean Carroll arrives at Manhattan federal court in New York as her defamation suit against Donald Trump continues on January 26, 2024 in New York City. Lawyers for both parties are expected to make their final statements today before a jury decides on a financial penalty. Carroll successfully sued Trump for defaming her when he was president, he has denied sexually assaulting her in a New York department store dressing room in the mid 1990’s. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump says he plans to appeal $83.3 million defamation verdict

OAN’s Sophia Flores
2:00 PM –Friday, January 26, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/jury-trump-must-pay-e-jean-carroll-83-3-million-in-damages/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

A verdict has been reached by the jury in E. Jean Carroll’s civil defamation case against former President Donald Trump. The jury has ruled that the 45th president will pay $18.3 million in compensatory damages and an additional $65 million in punitive damages to Carroll for “defamatory public statements” he made about her in 2019.

The jury of seven men and two women came to the decision in less than three hours.

In May, a jury found the former president liable for battery in a civil trial brought forth by writer E. Jean Carroll. Carroll claimed that Trump had previously raped and assaulted her back in the 1990’s. She also claimed that Trump defamed her when she went public with the accusation in 2019.

The jury was tasked with determining whether or not the Republican presidential front-runner forcibly assaulted and defamed Carroll. They ultimately found Trump liable for defamation and battery.

However, they also found him innocent of the rape accusation.

Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages due to the alleged battery. Trump must pay this amount in addition to the $83.3 million.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Trump Receives Most Votes In History Of New Hampshire Primary

Republican presidential hopeful and former US President Donald Trump looks on, flanked by son Eric Trump (L) and daughter-in-law Lara Trump, during an Election Night Party in Nashua, New Hampshire, on January 23, 2024. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN’s Brooke Mallory
5:59 PM – Wednesday, January 24, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/trump-receives-most-votes-in-history-of-new-hampshire-primary/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

On Tuesday night, the nation’s presidential primary in New Hampshire had the greatest raw vote total in its history for Donald Trump, marking a massive triumph for the former president.

As of Wednesday afternoon, when 95% of the anticipated votes were tabulated, Trump had more than 172,000 votes. He was more than 35,000 votes ahead of former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (R-S.C.).

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a socialist who defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary with a total of 152,193 votes, set the previous record for the most raw votes cast. The contest lasted for several months, ending in early June.

In addition, Trump, 77, held the previous record for the most votes received by a Republican primary victor when he received 129,734 ballots in 2020 against William Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts.

Trump made history on Tuesday by becoming the first non-incumbent Republican presidential contender to win both the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary.

With over 318,000 voters, the New Hampshire Republican primary had a record-breaking voter turnout. This figure was much higher than the previous high of over 287,000 established in 2016.

Over the course of Tuesday, poll workers reported that voter turnout was “very high.” Voters lined up to cast ballots for one of the two front-runners in the Republican contest, with parking lots completely filled.

The former GOP president urged his supporters to cast their ballots, citing the importance of “margins” and the potential for strong support to demonstrate “unity” within the GOP.

Meanwhile, Haley’s campaign team asked her supporters to get out and vote for her in order to defeat Trump. Despite finishing second in New Hampshire and third in Iowa, the former UN ambassador has still pledged to proceed with her candidacy for president in 2024.

Next, she will concentrate on her native state of South Carolina, where she says that she hopes to make a surprise victory in the primary on February 24th.

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Biden Admin Instructed Banks to Target Trump Supporters Without Due Process

AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File
It’s bad enough that the Biden administration targeted pro-lifers and treated concerned parents who spoke out at school board meetings as domestic terrorists. But according to documents acquired by the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, the Biden administration also directed banks to scrutinize customer data for transactions containing terms such as "TRUMP" or “MAGA,” without legal justification or due process. 

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) revealed these shocking details in a letter requesting an interview with Noah Bishoff, the former director of the Office of Stakeholder Integration and Engagement in the Strategic Operations Division of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

"The Committee and Select Subcommittee have obtained documents indicating that following January 6, 2021, FinCEN distributed materials to financial institutions that, among other things, outline the ‘typologies' of various persons of interest and provide financial institutions with suggested search terms and Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) for identifying transactions on behalf of federal law enforcement," Jordan wrote. "These materials included a document recommending the use of generic terms like ‘TRUMP' and ‘MAGA' to 'search Zelle payment messages' as well as a 'prior FinCEN analysis' of 'Lone Actor/Homegrown Violent Extremism Indicators.’"

Related: Trump Isn’t the Only Republican That Dems Are Trying to Boot Off Ballots

“According to this analysis, FinCEN warned financial institutions of ‘extremism’ indicators that include ‘transportation charges, such as bus tickets, rental cars, or plane tickets, for travel to areas with no apparent purpose,’ or ‘the purchase of books (including religious texts) and subscriptions to other media containing extremist views.’ In other words, FinCEN urged large financial institutions to comb through the private transactions of their customers for suspicious charges on the basis of protected political and religious expression,” Jordan’s letter continued.

The Weaponization Committee also discovered that FinCEN distributed slides prepared by KeyBank, a regional bank based in Cleveland, Ohio, that explained how banks could use certain merchant category codes (MCCs) and keywords to potentially detect mass shooters, domestic terrorists, and homegrown violent extremists. Those keywords include gun manufacturers, but also sporting goods stores like “Cabela’s,” “Bass Pro Shops,” “Dick’s Sporting Goods,” and “Gander Mountain."

“Despite these transactions having no apparent criminal nexus — and, in fact, relate to Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights — FinCEN seems to have adopted a characterization of these Americans as potential threat actors. This kind of pervasive financial surveillance, carried out in coordination with and at the request of federal law enforcement, into Americans’ private transactions is alarming and raises serious doubts about FinCEN’s respect for fundamental civil liberties,” Jordan wrote before explaining to Bishop that he would be called in to testify before Congress.

For our VIPs: The Left Would Destroy the Constitution to ‘Save Our Democracy’

“Your testimony will help to inform the Committee and Select Subcommittee about federal law enforcement's mass accumulation and use of Americans' private information without legal process; FinCEN's protocols, if any, to safeguard Americans' privacy and constitutional rights in the receipt and use of such information; and FinCEN's general engagement with the private sector on law-enforcement matters,” Jordan wrote. 

Melania Trump Announces Her Mother Amalija Knavs Has Passed Away

Viktor and Amalija Knavs, the parents of First Lady Melania Trump, depart the White House in Washington, DC, on November 26, 2019. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Viktor and Amalija Knavs, the parents of First Lady Melania Trump, depart the White House in Washington, DC, on November 26, 2019. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP)

OAN’s Sophia Flores
7:00 PM – Tuesday, January 9, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/melania-trump-announces-her-mother-amalija-knavs-has-passed-away/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

Former First Lady Melania Trump has announced that her mother, Amalija Knavs, has passed away at the age of 78.

On Tuesday, Trump took to X to announce the passing of her beloved mother.

“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija,” Trump wrote in a statement.

“Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity.  She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy,” she continued.

Amalija Knavs’s illness came to light after her daughter was noticeably absent from the Trump family’s Christmas photo and from the New Year’s Eve celebration at her Mar-a-Lago home. During the event, Donald Trump acknowledged his mother-in-law’s condition, confirming that she was “very ill.”

“Melania — great first lady, so popular, the people love her — she’s now in a hospital with her mother. Her mother, Amalija, is very ill, but hopefully she’ll be recovering,” the 45th president said at the party.

“But she’s been very ill, so I just want to say ‘hello’ to the first lady — we just spoke, down in Miami, great hospital — and hopefully they’ll be ok. But it’s a tough one, it’s a very tough one,” he continued. “She knows probably about 95% of the people in this room. We just want to wish Amalija that she gets better as quickly as possible.”

Melania has remained by her mother’s side during her time at a Miami hospital. Information regarding when she checked in to the hospital and what she was admitted for have not been released to the public.

The former first lady maintained a strong, close-knit relationship with her mother and her father, Viktor Knavs. The Knavses have been living with her immediate family at Mar-a-Lago for years. When their son-in-law was president, the couple lived on the upper floors of the White House. In particular, Melania’s mother had a great relationship with her 17-year-old grandson Barron Trump.

This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.

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Trump Remains His Own Worst Enemy. Here’s Why.

AP Photo/Reba Saldanha

Donald Trump wants to replace the poorly named Affordable Care Act with something better, and I’m all for it. Obamacare not only managed to send premiums skyrocketing, but made coverage so much worse. I can’t say enough bad things about it. The only time I ever saw my premium go down was during the Trump administration, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. The biggest spike in premiums occurred in November, when I found out that if I renewed my plans as is, it would cost me nearly $300 more a month.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who experienced sticker shock this year. And when you add the pain of inflation into the mix, it seems likely there will be renewed hunger to fix the broken system Barack Obama made for us.

And yet the discussion about appealing Obamacare got sidelined on Friday when Trump was speaking in Iowa and not only blasted the legislation but also John McCain, who inexplicably saved it in July 2017, despite campaigning on the promise to kill Obamacare and replace it with something that actually worked.

Criticizing the late John McCain for his inexplicable and detrimental vote is absolutely fair, but Trump managed to make a heaping mess of his criticism. The first thing I heard about that rally was that Trump said, “Obamacare is a catastrophe; nobody talks about it. Without John McCain, we would’ve had it done. John McCain, for some reason, couldn’t get his arm up that day."

When I saw this quote, I cringed.

In 2008, the Obama-Biden campaign accused John McCain of being out of touch and old-fashioned because he didn't know how to use a computer or send emails. The ad backfired because the issue wasn't so much that McCain didn't know how to use them, but that his war injuries made it impossible. McCain's war injuries were well known at that point, having been discussed by the media years prior. His injuries prevented him from combing his own hair or typing on a keyboard, among other daily activities many people take for granted. As the Boston Globe noted in 2000, he couldn't "raise his arm above his shoulder."

There was no excuse for such an insensitive attack, and certainly Donald Trump should know better than to allude to McCain's injuries that way.

Naturally, it prompted a response from John McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain.

“My dad was an American hero,” she wrote in a post on X/Twitter. “An icon. A patriot that will be remembered throughout history. I cannot buy a bagel without someone approaching me about how much they loved and miss him."

Related: Is This Trump's Biggest Unforced Error of the 2024 Campaign?

Even if we give Trump the benefit of the doubt that he didn't know that McCain's injuries prevented him from being able to raise his arms, it was still a sloppy way to address the issue. Now the media is scrambling to push the narrative that Trump was mocking McCain's injuries from his time as a prisoner of war rather than discussing the faults of Obamacare. In a way, it's hard to blame them, because that's exactly the impression I got from seeing the quote.

Trump needs to be much more disciplined going forward because these are the kinds of mistakes he can't afford to make in such a consequential election.

Trump Stuns World with Prophetic Video Revealing He’s Been Chosen By God~Trump Messianic Video

Trump Messianic Video

AG James Seeks $370M From Donald Trump After Civil Fraud Trial

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 13: New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference at the office of the Attorney General on July 13, 2022 in New York City. NY AG James announced today that her office has reached a settlement of $500,000 for more than a dozen current and former employees of the Sweet and Vicious, a bar in Manhattan, after a 16-month investigation into allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and wage theft at the establishment. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

OAN’s Sophia Flores
5:17 PM – Friday, January 5, 2024

Even though the proceedings have ended, the former president’s legal fate has not yet been revealed. Closing arguments will be made in front of the trial judge, Arthur Engoron, next week.

In addition to wanting the large sum from Trump, she is also fighting to bar him and his sons from conducting any further business in The Empire State.

Trump’s lawyer, Christopher M. Kise, responded to the brief on Friday. He referred to the new amount as “unconscionable, unsupported by the evidence, untethered from reality and unconstitutionally excessive.”

“Every single member of the New York business community, no matter the sector, should be gravely concerned with this gross overreach and brazen attempt by the attorney general to exert limitless power where no private or public harm has ever been established,” a Trump Organization spokeswoman said.

Trump maintains that his assets were genuinely valued and he has since denied any misconduct, stating on numerous occasions that there were disclaimers in his financial statements. He also requested that the banks review the figures.

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New York Attorney General Letitia James is now demanding that Donald J. Trump pay up $370 million in penalties for what she claims is retribution for “decades” of financial fraud.

When James first sued Trump in the fall of 2022, she asked the judge that Trump be penalized $250 million for “inflating his net worth in order to retain better loans” from banks. Her number rose to $370 million on Friday, as she now believes that through the trial, he gained all of his money unlawfully. 

The fraud trial began in October 2023 and the proceedings concluded last month.

Even though the proceedings have ended, the former president’s legal fate has not yet been revealed. Closing arguments will be made in front of the trial judge, Arthur Engoron, next week.

In addition to wanting the large sum from Trump, she is also fighting to bar him and his sons from conducting any further business in The Empire State.

Trump’s lawyer, Christopher M. Kise, responded to the brief on Friday. He referred to the new amount as “unconscionable, unsupported by the evidence, untethered from reality and unconstitutionally excessive.”

“Every single member of the New York business community, no matter the sector, should be gravely concerned with this gross overreach and brazen attempt by the attorney general to exert limitless power where no private or public harm has ever been established,” a Trump Organization spokeswoman said.

Trump maintains that his assets were genuinely valued and he has since denied any misconduct, stating on numerous occasions that there were disclaimers in his financial statements. He also requested that the banks review the figures.

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Trump Appeals Colorado Disqualification, Asks SCOTUS To Overrule Ruling

Trump Appeals Colorado Disqualification, Asks SCOTUS To Overrule Ruling

DELAWARE, OH - APRIL 23:Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally hosted by the former president at the Delaware County Fairgrounds on April 23, 2022 in Delaware, Ohio. Last week, Trump announced his endorsement of J.D. Vance in the Ohio Republican Senate primary. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally hosted by the former president at the Delaware County Fairgrounds on April 23, 2022 in Delaware, Ohio. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

OAN’s Sophia Flores
2:30 PM – Wednesday, January 3, 2024

45th President Donald J. Trump’s legal team has filed an appeal to the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) to overturn the Colorado Supreme Court ruling removing the former president from the state’s GOP primary ballot.

On Wednesday, his lawyers issued a filing stating that the 14th Amendment’s “insurrection clause” was not valid in this situation and urged the justices to “return the right to vote for their candidate of choice to the voters.”

“This Court should grant certiorari to consider this question of paramount importance, summarily reverse the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling, and return the right to vote for their candidate of choice to the voters,” attorneys for the former president wrote in the filing.

The Colorado Supreme Court disqualified Trump from the state’s primary ballot on December 19th in a 4-3 decision.

They claimed that he violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment for allegedly inciting a U.S. Capitol breach on January 6th, 2021. However, presidents do not fall under the jurisdiction of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment as they are not an “officer of the United States.”

Even though this is a high-profile litigation, the SCOTUS is not required to take the case. Without the highest court in the nation intervening, states are allowed to ban Trump from the ballot.

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Trump: Biden will put the country through hell if he stays in office

Former President Donald Trump speaks at his "Save America" rally in New Hampshire, talks about his indictment cases, reflects on his accomplishments as President, explains the current migrant crisis, tears apart President Joe Biden for pulling troops from Afghanistan, and more on NEWSMAX.

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