Trump's Legal Battle: Half-Billion Dollar Judgment and Upcoming Appeals

Donald Trump's legal team is appealing a New York state court's nearly half-billion dollar judgment against him for fraudulent real estate practices. Justice Arthur Engoron ordered the penalty, but Trump's lawyers argue the case violates the statute of limitations. The decision threatens Trump's business empire and is among several legal challenges he faces.

Donald Trump's lawyers sought on Thursday to persuade a New York state appeals court to throw out a nearly half-billion dollar judgment against the former U.S. president over real estate business practices that a judge has declared fraudulent.

Justice Arthur Engoron in February ordered Trump, the Republican candidate in the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, to pay $454.2 million in penalties and interest for inflating his net worth to induce bankers into giving him better loan terms. The civil case brought by New York state Attorney General Letitia James. Trump's lawyer John Sauer told the judges during arguments in the appeal that the case was brought too late and that it would be unfair to impose a 'crippling financial penalty' for the former president's decades-old financial statements, which Engoron found were illegally inflated.

'This case involves a clear-cut violation of the statute of limitations and relevant case law,' Sauer said. The judge's ruling poses a threat to the business empire Trump has built over decades, which includes hotels, office buildings and golf courses around the world. With interest continuing to accrue, Trump now owes $478.3 million.

(With inputs from agencies.)