You want to talk about a twist that’s straight out of an M. Night Shyamalan movie? Get a load of this. It seems that former President Trump has found an unlikely ally in his latest legal battle – none other than the late liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I swear you can’t make this stuff up!
So, here’s the scoop. Trump is currently appealing a whopping $454 million judgment against him in New York civil court. The judgment was handed down by Judge Arthur Engoron, who concluded that Trump’s real estate business had artificially inflated the value of its assets to score some sweet business contracts. But hold onto your hats because here’s where things get interesting.
In his appeal, Trump’s lawyers are leaning heavily on an opinion given by Ginsburg in a 2019 ruling. The case, Timbs v. Indiana, revolved around whether the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits excessive fines, applies to state cases. Ginsburg, writing for the court, firmly said it did.
Now, Trump is using that very same argument to appeal his own case. During a recent Fox News town hall, he quoted from the Eighth Amendment, proclaiming, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” Talk about irony, am I right?
An AP analysis of 150 civil fraud cases over the past 70 years found that Trump’s case is the “only big business found that was threatened with a shutdown without a showing of obvious victims and major losses.” So, it seems our former President might actually have a point.
As if this story wasn’t juicy enough, let’s throw in another plot twist. Ginsburg, who passed away in 2020, was a vocal critic of Trump, once ominously stating, “For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be — I don’t even want to contemplate that.” Yet, her legal opinion might just be the key that unlocks Trump’s appeal.
So, there you have it. A tale of politics, law, and irony so rich it could give you a toothache. But hey, that’s life in the political arena for you. As we wait for the next chapter of this legal saga to unfold, remember: truth is often stranger than fiction. Stay tuned, folks!