


New York Judge Arthur Engoron has ordered former President Donald Trump to pay $364 million for allegedly defrauding banks in order to acquire loans and other benefits - loans which the banks themselves testified they were satisfied with after doing their own due diligence.
Trump is also barred "from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or other legal entity in New York for a period of three years," while his sons have been barred from serving as New York executives for two years.
New York Attorney General Letitia James had sought $370 million from Trump, his company, and its top executives for what she claimed was "repeated and persistent fraud" - which included allegations of falsifying records and financial statements to the tune of as much as $2.2 billion.
Trump maintains that his financial statements to banks were conservative, and has called the case a "fraud on me."
"This is a case that should have never been brought, and I think we should be entitled to damages," Trump said on Jan. 11.
The months-long civil trial included testimony from Trump and his oldest children. The former president was combative in his day on the stand, blasting James as a "hack" and calling the judge "extremely hostile."
Trump repeatedly complained about Engoron before and throughout the trial, and the judge slapped him with a partial gag order after he started blasting the judge's law clerk as well. Trump's complaints led to a flood of death threats against the clerk, as well as Engoron, court officials said, and Trump was fined $15,000 for twice violating the order. -NBC News
And of course, Trump's Martyr status just intensified. Expect this decision to be reflected in upcoming polls.