Trump asked to pay $350 million penalty in civil fraud case, he says 'total sham'

In a landmark verdict, former President Donald Trump, his sons, and his company have been hit with a staggering penalty of nearly three hundred and sixty-four million dollars, for a decade of fraudulent financial statements. The verdict, issued by Judge Arthur Engoron, came following an intense civil fraud trial that scrutinized Trump's inflated claims about the value of his Mar-a-Lago property. The journey to this verdict began when discrepancies surfaced in Trump's financial statements. The New York Attorney General took notice and sued Trump for providing false valuations for tax, loan, and insurance purposes. In the spotlight was Trump's Mar-a-Lago property, which he touted as being worth a billion dollars. However, legal documents told a different story. They highlighted restrictions on the property's use as a social club, refuting Trump's lofty assertions of its value. As the trial unfolded, it became clear that there was a significant gap between Trump's claims and the reality, leading Judge Engoron to conclude that there was 'no mistake' that Trump's Mar-a-Lago price-tag was 'fraudulent'. The verdict debunked Trump's inflated claims about the value of Mar-a-Lago and imposed a hefty cash penalty on Trump, his sons, and his company for a decade of deceit.