Trump appeals fraud case as $112,000-a-day interest accrues

Former US president Donald Trump is challenging a New York judge’s decision requiring him to pay $454 million (£360 million) in penalties and interest in a civil fraud lawsuit.

Initially, this month’s ruling amounted to $355 million, but with accruing interest, the sum has escalated, increasing by at least $112,000 daily.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has warned that if Trump fails to comply, she will pursue the seizure of some of his assets.

The judgment found him guilty of inflating property values to secure more favourable loan terms.

Judge Arthur Engoron has imposed a three-year ban on the former US president conducting business within the state.

Monday’s appeal from Trump means another legal case that will drag further into election season as he prepares for a likely rematch against President Joe Biden in November. 

Polling suggests that the former president’s legal woes haven’t deterred voters from him. 

Trump has repeatedly called his legal woes a political witch hunt.