Former first lady Melania Trump may be saving her husband, former President Donald Trump’s New York businesses.
This week’s sweeping verdict against Donald, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization puts the Trump family at risk of losing the New York real estate empire Donald built over decades. Tuesday’s decision by New York Judge Arthur Engollen strips the Trump family of control of some of its iconic properties that helped shape the former president’s early image.
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Ngolon found that financial statements filed by the Trump Organization “clearly contained fraudulent valuations used by the defendants in their businesses,” and canceled the company’s business certificates for multiple properties in New York state. If Trump is ultimately barred from operating in the state, he may have to transfer or sell his New York investment portfolio.
But legal experts say Trump could still keep the properties with the help of family members such as Melania or his eldest daughter Ivanka, both of whom have been excluded from the New York case and therefore not favored. Goren ruling.
New York University law professor Marcel Kahan said Washington post While Donald “almost certainly” will sell his New York property,”He could own a company owned by Ivanka or other members of her family. They are not subject to this order. “
“Look, Trump can transfer all of his properties and businesses in New York to Melania. Problem solved,” attorney Ron Filipkoski wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. “I’m sure he can trust her because she truly loves him unconditionally.”
Weekly newspaper The Trump campaign was contacted via email for comment.
Trump could also transfer his New York properties to Ivanka, who was initially named as a defendant in the case but was later called as a witness in the case against her father and his company. It was unclear whether her role in the case was addressed in Tuesday’s ruling or whether her testimony was used in the rest of the case.
But Melania may also want to separate from her husband. Recent speculation suggests Melania is seeking more money and property from Donald amid a divorce.
This week, Page Six reported that Melania and Donald were renegotiating their prenuptial agreement and a trust for their shared son Barron and estate as he and his presidential campaign edge closer to the 2024 election. One of the former first lady’s top priorities. The reports come as Trump faces a series of costly legal battles with four indictments filed against him, including a defamation case he lost to columnist Jean Carroll and his recent civil lawsuit at the Trump Organization Loss of the case.
“By the time the presidential election is over, Trump will probably be broke,” said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and president of West Coast Trial Lawyers. Weekly newspaper. “He lost the defamation case to Jean Carroll and will have to pay more damages for defaming her again. He has already been found liable in a New York civil fraud case, lost his New York business license and is not allowed to not to dissolve his company and may be subject to legal sanctions.” The verdict was in the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.
“He’s spent tens of millions of dollars defending himself in four different criminal cases, and the trial hasn’t even begun,” Rahmani said. “Trump has been a fundraising machine, but if he loses the election again, The well will dry up.”
“It’s not surprising that Melania and Ivanka were trying to protect themselves and separate their money from the former president. Of course, his creditors may argue that the transfers were fraudulent and designed to avoid paying Trump Trump’s debt if Trump himself is unable to do so.”
