Donald Trump just dodged what could have been a half-billion-dollar financial hit.
A New York appeals court on Thursday threw out the massive $515m civil fraud penalty against him.
It called it “excessive” and a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s ban on excessive fines.
Remember that staggering judgment from last year?
What Was The Case?
Judge Arthur Engoron had ruled Trump exaggerated his wealth to impress banks and insurers.
He ordered him to pay $355m—ballooning to over $515m with interest.
Add in penalties for his sons Eric and Don Jr., and the Trump Organization was staring down more than $527m.
Now, that number has vanished, at least for the moment.
The ruling wasn’t unanimous, but it reshapes a case that had threatened to rock Trump’s real estate empire just months into his return to the White House.
“The disgorgement order… is an excessive fine,” wrote two appellate judges.
They stressed that while Trump’s business practices raised red flags, the punishment went too far.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the case, wasn’t backing down.
She vowed to appeal, noting: “Yet another court has ruled that the president violated the law.”
Trump, meanwhile, called it a “great win for America” and blasted the lawsuit as “political witch hunt.”
