New York Attorney General said she is "prepared" to ask the judge to seize former President Donald Trump's assets if he cannot pay the $354 million judgement handed down in his civil fraud case. (ABC News/Screenshot/Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images)
The judge will temporarily allow Trump and his sons to continue running the business as they appeal the decision.
The filing is a temporary order before the motion goes before the full Appeals Court. Letitia James’ brief to the panel is due March 11, and Trump's replies are due March 18.
The ruling comes after New York Judge Arthur Engoron handed down his decision earlier in February after a months-long trial beginning in October and stemming from James' lawsuit alleging the former president inflated his assets and committed fraud.
Engoron ruled that Trump and defendants were liable for "persistent and repeated fraud," "falsifying business records," "issuing false financial statements," "conspiracy to falsify false financial statements," "insurance fraud," and "conspiracy to commit insurance fraud."
The judge also barred Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or legal entity in New York for two years.
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Engoron also "permanently" barred defendants Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, and the former corporate controller Jeffrey McConney from "serving in the financial control function of any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in New York State," and as a director of any New York corporation or other legal entity in New York for three years.
New York Attorney General Letitia James sits in the courtroom during the fraud trial of former President Donald Trump and his children on Friday, Nov. 03. (Dave Sanders-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump and his family denied any wrongdoing, with the former president saying his assets had been undervalued. Trump's legal team insisted that his financial statements had disclaimers, and made it clear to banks that they should conduct their own assessments.
Trump has said his financial statements were "perfect," and stressed that the bank loans were repaid and "as happy as can be."
Throughout the trial, Trump attorneys brought witnesses, including former Deutsche Bank top executives, who testified the banks sought additional business from Trump, whom they viewed as a "whale of a client."
Trump's defense also brought in expert witnesses, including New York University accounting professor Eli Bartov, who reviewed the Trump financial statements at issue in the case and said he found no evidence of accounting fraud.
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Bartov testified last month that Trump’s financial statements did not violate accounting principles, and he suggested that anything problematic — like a huge year-to-year leap in the estimated value of his Trump Tower penthouse — was simply an error.
"My main finding is that there is no evidence whatsoever of any accounting fraud," Bartov testified. Trump’s financial statements, he said, "were not materially misstated."
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
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