A Northwestern University law professor strongly criticized a New York judge’s $355 million fraud ruling against Donald Trump as an “unjust political act” on par with Aaron Burr killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel.
The professor argued the laws used against Trump had never been applied this way and no banks claimed fraud, calling it a “victimless crime”.
“The civil fraud judgment against Donald Trump is a travesty and an unjust political act rivaled only in American politics by the killing of former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton by Vice President Aaron Burr,” Steven Calabresi wrote.
Trump lawyer Alina Habba vows legal vengeance against the Democratic machine that just railroaded her client with a massive fine that could only have been induced by #TrumpDerangementSyndrome pic.twitter.com/6cFKW37rFr
— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) February 20, 2024
“The New York State laws used to go after Trump have NEVER been used in this way, historically, and while Trump may owe some back state taxes, if Judge Engoron is right, not a single bank claimed that it had been defrauded by Trump in the loans it had made to him,” he wrote. “This is truly a victimless crime.”
Trump spokeswoman Alina Habba vowed legal retaliation, saying the judge and NY AG would “not get away with it”.
“There is a point, and I want to say something that I don’t normally do; we have the order now; I’m free to speak. And let me just say […]; they will not get away with it. We will come at them, we will come hard, and we will literally fight until the truth comes out,” Habba said.
“There was nothing wrong. President Trump has done nothing wrong. All he has done is won a campaign, and that is scaring them. Because they know when he goes back in November 2024, he is going to clean house, and that is truly the problem,” she added.
Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary said the ruling made him rethink investing in New York, calling it an “assault on real estate” and an “embarrassment” that sends a poor message to developers about risking capital in the state.
Critics argued the laws were misapplied and the ruling was politically motivated rather than supported by evidence of actual fraud victims.
“I’m not different than any other investor. I’m shocked at this. I can’t even understand or fathom the decision at all. There’s no rationale for it,” O’Leary said.
“Forget about the Trump factor,” he said. “It’s not about that. What does this say to everybody that wants to do work in New York and wants to risk capital? … this judge arbitrarily decide[d] that this is the right amount. I don’t understand it. No developer does.”
“It’s an atrocity. It’s an embarrassment, but it’s an assault on real estate,” he said.
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