President Donald Trump on Wednesday asked New York's highest court to overturn the remaining findings in a civil fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
In a 119-page filing, Trump's attorneys appealed a lower court ruling that had already eliminated a roughly $500 million financial penalty but upheld the underlying fraud determination.
"This court should put an end to this politically motivated action," the president's attorneys stated in the latest filing.
The original case found that Trump, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, and business associates inflated asset values to secure favorable loan and insurance terms.
While the appeals court struck down the monetary judgment, it left intact key penalties, including restrictions barring Trump and his sons from serving as officers of New York businesses and limiting access to certain financial institutions for three years.
Trump's legal team is seeking to void the fraud finding entirely, arguing the case constitutes "selective enforcement" driven by political motives.
James's office has not commented on the latest filing but has indicated it will also challenge parts of the appeals decision.
Separately, Trump's efforts to pursue legal action against James have largely failed.
Federal courts dismissed a mortgage fraud case against her, and grand juries declined to bring charges.
Reports indicate, however, that further criminal referrals tied to alleged insurance fraud have been sent to federal prosecutors.
The case is part of a wider set of legal challenges involving Trump during and after the Biden administration.
These include state-level civil actions such as the New York attorney general's fraud case and other investigations, including in Georgia related to election interference.
At the federal level, cases were brought by the Department of Justice under then-special counsel Jack Smith, including matters involving classified documents and the 2020 election aftermath.
Congressional investigations also examined Trump's conduct, including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and aspects of his business dealings when Democrats controlled the House.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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