(RepublicanPress.org) – Donald Trump faced a March 25 deadline to post a nearly half-a-billion dollar bond to protect his assets from seizure in his New York Civil Trial while he pursues an appeal. The massive disgorgement order issued by New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron in mid-February has led to widespread speculation regarding which of the former president’s assets were at the highest risk of being seized by New York Attorney General Leticia James’ office.
Newsweek published an article discussing which assets James might seek to seize on Monday, March 25, the deadline Engoron set for Trump to pay the bond. The media company speculated that the attorney might consider taking several of the former president’s luxury items instead of seizing his trademark properties.
For instance, the Newsweek article suggested that James seize Trump’s yacht and private Boeing 757 twinjet aircraft, Trump Force One. Current appraisals list their respective values at $115 and $100.
Thomas Gift, the University College of London’s head of the Center on US Politics, told Newsweek that taking the former president’s high-dollar asset would likely be “a lot easier” than trying to “liquidate” real estate property like his Trump Tower residence.
Givt said he believed those seizures would be relatively simple. But, he conceded that it remained unclear whether Trump had enough tangible assets outside his properties to meet the court’s total disgorgement order.
On the plus side, at least for Trump, the New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Court issued a ruling on Monday, providing the former president limited relief on Engoron’s bond order. The two-page decision granted the former president an extension to pay the bond, making it due 10 days after the issuance of the panel’s written order. The appellate court also reduced Trump’s bond from $464,576,231 to $175 million.
However, the appeals court upheld the other provisions of Engoron’s order, like Trump’s three-year ban on acting as an officer for any New York company. Likewise, the panel kept the prohibition on borrowing money from New York-based financial institutions.
For now, the possibility of Trump having to turn over assets appears unlikely in light of the appeal court’s ruling. He has until April 2 to pay the bond before James can move to start taking his property.
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