January 1, Trump Pushes to Nix All New York Penalties

Wyatt’s Take

• Trump wants all civil penalties wiped out after major court victory.
• New York’s huge $515 million fine deemed unconstitutional and tossed.
• Punishments against Trump and sons remain paused for now.

Donald Trump’s legal team just asked New York’s highest court to throw out what’s left of the civil penalties he and his sons face. Last week, a court scrapped the $515 million fine against Trump, calling it “excessive” and a violation of the Eighth Amendment.

The lawsuit, led by state Attorney General Letitia James, accused Trump of pumping up his net worth on paperwork sent to banks and insurance companies. Trump’s lawyers argue that all the other penalties—like bans on running businesses in New York—should go, too.

“While the injunctive relief ordered by the court is well crafted to curb defendants’ business culture, the court’s disgorgement order, which directs that defendants pay nearly half a billion dollars to the State of New York, is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment,” Judges Dianne T. Renwick and Peter H. Moulton wrote.

Penalties paused for now include a ban on Trump holding corporate positions in New York, his sons Eric and Donald Jr. running New York businesses, limits on loans, and strict oversight of their company. These are all on hold as appeals continue.

Trump called the decision a “TOTAL VICTORY.” He said the lawsuit was “a Political Witch Hunt” and “a Case of Election Interference.”

Attorney General James still wants the fines back in place. Judges agreed Trump can keep fighting these penalties in court, so nothing is final yet.

A final court decision will weigh heavily on whether government overreach trumps the rights of American business owners. Middle America is watching to see if the law gets used fairly for all, not just political favorites.

Full story here

Wyatt Matters

This fight speaks to everyday Americans who know the value of a fair shake. Folks in the heartland don’t want to see the justice system pushed around by politics—they want the rules applied evenly, no matter who you are.