Victory for Trump: a court rejected the multimillion-dollar fine that had been imposed on him

In what represents another legal victory for President Donald Trump, a New York appeals court has overturned the fine imposed on him, considering the nearly 500 million dollars set as a penalty to be excessive in terms of fines and interest.

In February of last year, New York's ultra-Democratic prosecutor, Letitia James, initiated a civil lawsuit against the then-Republican candidate and succeeded in having him convicted of business fraud. The conviction required Trump to pay more than 350 million dollars as a fine, in addition to another 150 million dollars in interest.

But this Thursday, by majority, the judges of the appeals court overturned the amount of the fine. The judges stated in their ruling that it is "excessive" and may violate the Constitution, more precisely the Eighth Amendment.

The details of the ruling.

Although the panel of five judges who heard the case understood that the injunction is "well crafted to contain the business culture of the defendants," the ruling represents another victory for the president in a case where he was charged and pursued for political rather than judicial reasons.

"Although the injunction ordered by the court is well drafted to curb the business culture of the defendants, the court's order for the return of illicit profits, which requires the defendants to pay nearly 500 million dollars to the state of New York, is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution," the ruling reads.

Trump: "Total victory"

The Republican leader turned to Truth Social to declare "total victory" in the case and lash out against James and the original trial judge, Arthur Engoron. "TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE case brought by New York State Attorney General Letitia James!" Trump wrote.

"I greatly respect the fact that the court had the courage to overturn this illegal and shameful decision that was harming businesses throughout the state of New York. Others were afraid to do business there. The amount, including interest and penalties, exceeded 550 million dollars. This was a political witch hunt, in the business sense, like nothing ever seen before," the president's post reflects.

Meanwhile, for ultra-Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, this may not be the only adverse ruling for her political aspirations, as she is being investigated by the Department of Justice for having committed mortgage fraud, a case that, if convicted, could disqualify her from holding public office.