The appellate court’s decision to lower former President Donald Trump’s bond amount from $454 million to $175 million may not be a big win for him and he faces another graver threat, said his niece Mary Trump in a substack post on Monday.
What Happened: While the focus was on the appellate court decision, things could not have gone worse for Donald Trump in his hush money election interference case, said Mary Trump. His attorneys insulted and infuriated the judge, she added.
Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist, noted that the bond amount the Appellate Court finalized is nearly double of the $100 million bond initially sought by her uncle’s attorneys. There are plenty of reasons for New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office to feel encouraged, she said.
“Put more simply, the State of NY is better off having $175 million of the judgment secured than having none of it secured. They can then seize properties to get the rest if need be,” she added.
Citing James’ comments, Mary Trump said the $464 million judgment, plus interest, against her uncle and the other defendants still stands. Only the surety bond amount has been reduced, she said.
“The nightmare of that massive penalty will still be waiting for him on the other side of the appeal should he lose,” Mary Trump said. The psychologist also quoted lawyer Jen Taub, who thinks James’ case is strong enough to survive appeal.
Taub reportedly told Mary Trump, “I don't think the verdicts will be overturned [on appeal]. I think it's a clear violation of the executive law. There's no question that both Donald Trump, his two oldest sons, and those executives and the other entities violated the law.”
See Also: Trump’s Hush Money Trial Scheduled Pre-2024 Election: Delay Possible Through Legal Motion
Worst Nightmare: The New York election fraud case could be Donald Trump’s worst nightmare, said Mary Trump. Despite protests from the former president’s attorneys, Justice Juan Mechan set the criminal hush money trail to begin on April 15, she said, adding that since it is a state case, any guilty verdict reached would be beyond federal pardon power.
The verdict means “it more likely that we will get a criminal verdict before the 2024 election, and possibly with a few months to spare,” Mary Trump said. “Donald could be found guilty of a crime in a court of law before the election.”
Why It’s Important: These developments assume importance because up to 53% of key swing voters said they would refuse to vote for Donald Trump if he were convicted of a criminal offense, Mary Trump said, citing a February Morning Consult poll. This percentage increased to 55% if he were to receive a prison sentence, she said.
She also noted that a recent Politico/Ipsos poll found that “by a more than 2-1 margin, respondents said that a conviction would make them less likely to support [Donald]…Notably, more than a third of independents said it would reduce their likelihood to support [Donald].”
“He [Donald Trump] actually faces a better chance of being a convicted criminal facing jail time before the election. That in turn, makes it significantly less likely for him to win,” Mary Trump said.
“His attendance at his criminal trial is mandatory. That puts Donald's behavior in front of a jury and that will prove extremely detrimental to him.”
Read Next: How To Invest In Startups
Photo via Shutterstock
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
