Star Metro - Trump faces double legal dramas in New York

The 77-year-old, who has clinched the Republican nomination to run as president again despite facing a raft of legal charges, has already been hit by heavy fines in two civil cases.

In his case over business fraud, his lawyers on Monday must either prove that he can guarantee payment of the $454 million fine or face the possible seizure of some of his assets.

Trump on Monday lashed out at Judge Arthur Engoron who imposed the fine after finding Trump and his two adult sons guilty in a non-jury trial.

"It should be ZERO, I DID NOTHING WRONG!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that the fine was "fraudulent."

If Trump is unable to provide the bond -- and his lawyers have said they have tried in vain -- then "his image would change dramatically, I would think, for many people, because he has said that he's a billionaire," Andrew Weissmann, a former federal prosecutor and author of the book "The Trump Indictments," told AFP.

"And if he cannot post a bond in any amount, that obviously is a huge problem."

Separately, a criminal court in Manhattan convenes at 9:30 am (1330 GMT) to set a new date in his trial over payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, with Trump saying he would attend.

He regularly speaks before and after his court appearances, seeking to fire up his supporters.

- 'Prospect of humiliation' -

In his post, Trump denounced both cases as a politically motivated attack against him ahead of the November 5 presidential election where he will again face Joe Biden.

"These are Rigged cases, all coordinated by the White House and DOJ for purposes of Election Interference," Trump wrote. "No crime. Our Country is CORRUPT!"

Trump regularly rails against a judicial system he says is "fixed" against him. He has said that New York Attorney General Letitia James -- who is Black -- is "racist," and accused Engoron of being a "crooked judge" controlled by Democrats.

Despite Trump's apparent inability to secure a bond, he bragged online on Friday that due to "hard work, talent, and luck" he had almost $500 million in cash, which he said he had planned to spend on his election campaign against Biden.

The judge, he said, "knew this (and) wanted to take it away from me."

Trump got some positive financial news last week when it was announced that Truth Social would finally go public through a merger, a transaction that could net him billions of dollars.

He cannot tap into the funds for six months, but it potentially could help him secure a bond.

If he fails to do so, Carl Tobias of the University of Richmond law school said Trump "confronts the prospect of humiliation and serious financial harm."

James could order a freeze on his bank accounts, or move to seize some of his New York properties.

Trump might "even declare bankruptcy," Tobias said.

- Seeking more delays -

His lawyers have pursued every avenue to delay his many trials -- if possible until after the presidential vote.

In the trial involving Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford Trump, stands accused of illegally using campaign funds to secure her silence about an alleged affair.

The former president, who has denied having the affair, potentially could face a prison sentence of up to four years if convicted.

His legal team is requesting a delay of at least three months to allow them time to study thousands of pages of evidence belatedly provided by prosecutors.

They also want the trial to wait until the US Supreme Court rules on his claim to have absolute immunity for actions taken while he was president.

burs-md/bgs

P.Lefebvre--SMC