Former President Donald Trump is in a "very hostile" New York court environment where "anything goes" — reflected in the $355 million fine slapped on him in a financial fraud trial brought by Attorney General Letitia James, lawyer Jordan Sekulow told Newsmax on Thursday.
Other businesses around the state are watching the case, Sekulow, executive director for the American Center for Law and Justice, said on "Wake Up America."
"If New York … feels like you shouldn't have gotten that loan, you can be penalized by the state of New York," he said. "And that's very unique, that the … people that actually loaned you the money are not the ones complaining about you paying it back.
"In fact, you followed all those rules. But you can actually violate this law because New York doesn't think you should have gotten that loan in the first place."
An appeal by Trump will be closely scrutinized, Sekulow said.
"In New York, you've got two unique things to appeal the case," he said. "You've got to post the bond," which for Trump would be "about $19 million" that "you're not going to get back from the bond company."
Trump will also have to put up "$400 million or so in a mix of cash and assets," Sekulow said.
"Then, but only then, can you appeal the case to the Appellate Division in New York and ultimately to the highest court in the New York state, which is the Court of Appeals to look at some of those issues about the excessiveness here of this very unique New York law, which a lot of businesses now are taking note of," he said.
Sekulow lamented that if "New York still feels like you shouldn't have gotten that loan, you can be penalized."
He also weighed in on an upcoming decision over whether Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis will be taken off her election interference case against Trump — declaring the case against him is "crumbling."
"I think there's a there's a good chance that Fani Willis has really messed up here, and is taken off this case," Sekulow said, adding; "It is crumbling, making it more difficult, and it totally could be dismissed by a new [district attorney]."
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