Invoking reconciliatory actions of historical U.S. presidents such as Abraham Lincoln, Donald Trump’s lawyer has requested that his client’s fraud conviction, which resulted in a $454 million fine last winter, be overturned “for the greater good of the country.”
In a letter dated Tuesday, November 26, John Sauer—who is expected to take a senior role in the Department of Justice in January—called on New York Attorney General Letitia James to drop the case entirely. He demanded that all charges against President Donald J. Trump, his family, and his businesses be dismissed, along with the judgment, all fines, and interest imposed.
In February, Trump and his sons Eric and Donald Jr. were found guilty by a Manhattan civil court of fraud tied to the Trump Organization. The court ruled they had artificially inflated the value of properties, including Trump Tower and 40 Wall Street, by billions of dollars in the 2010s to secure favorable loan terms from banks.
Following the ruling, Letitia James, a Democrat, had threatened to issue court orders to seize Trump’s assets to cover the penalty. However, in April, Trump posted a $175 million bond—secured by an insurer—and filed an appeal.
Sauer wrote in the letter that following his historic election victory, President Trump called for an end to partisan divisions and urged opposing sides to unite for the good of the country.
This summer, the lawyer successfully leveraged the Supreme Court’s conservative majority to expand the interpretation of presidential immunity, a move that could benefit Trump between his presidential terms.
Sauer argued that failing to overturn Trump’s civil court conviction would raise significant “constitutional issues.” He cited the legacies of unifying efforts by George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy. On October 3, 1863, as Sauer noted, Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday, urging Americans to set aside their bitter divisions and embrace freedom with one heart and one voice.
Separately, on Tuesday, criminal charges against Trump for his alleged involvement in attempts to overturn the 2020 election results were reportedly dropped.
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Source: ANA-MPA
