Trump received 'nuclear option' in unprecedented NYC civil fraud case, says Turley

Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley said Wednesday on "FOX & Friends" that former President Trump was subjected to the "nuclear option" by a New York City judge and the state's Attorney General Letitia James. The constitutional scholar reacted to James' statement that New York will "ask the judge to seize [Trump's] assets" if he does not pay the more than $350 million penalty. 

LETITIA JAMES PREPARED TO SEIZE TRUMP'S ASSETS IF HE DOESN'T PAY CIVIL FRAUD PENALTY

JONATHAN TURLEY: The statute hasn't been used in this way against an individual where there wasn't a crime, the company didn't go bankrupt, the loans were paid off and everyone made money. Even The New York Times couldn't find, in decades, a case that really looked like this one and that's not too surprising. You have an attorney general who ran on the pledge to bag him for something. So this was the ‘something’ she came up with. 

New York Judge Arthur Engoron, right, ruled that former President Trump must pay over $350 million in damages to the state of New York as the result of his civil fraud trial. (Fox News)

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The argument of the court is it was still fraud, even though you didn't cost anyone a dollar. … Because overvaluing or undervaluing property is very common in the real estate area. But even if you accept that this is fraudulent, the question is why this nuclear option, why this, in effect, a public execution? And the glee that people are expressing that he might have a fire sale of his properties really shows the discomfort that many of us have with this opinion.

New York Attorney General Letitia James sits in the courtroom during the fraud trial of former President Donald Trump and his children on Nov. 3, 2023. (Dave Sanders-Pool/Getty Images)

James took a victory lap for the press following the fraud ruling against Trump.

James made the celebratory comments during a press conference at her offices in Manhattan on Friday.

"Today, justice has been served. Today we proved that no one is above the law. No matter how rich, powerful or politically connected you are," James said.

Trump has vowed to appeal, telling Fox News' Laura Ingraham on Tuesday that the judge is a "nutjob" and James is a "horrible attorney general" who campaigned on "getting" him. 

"If I didn't run, I wouldn't have any of these lawsuits. … These are vicious, sick people. … My revenge will be success," he said in South Carolina ahead of the state's Republican primary Saturday. 

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