Trump lawyer Alina Habba calls fraud trial ruling a ‘witch hunt’

Alina Habba, who represented the former president in the New York civil trial, said he would be appealing the decision

Alina Habba, an attorney for Donald Trump, has condemned the ruling in his New York civil fraud trial, calling it a “politically fueled witch hunt” designed to take the former president down.

Shortly after New York Justice Arthur Engoron released the decision in the case on Friday, ordering Mr Trump and his co-defendants to pay more than $350m for financial fraud, Ms Habba turned to X to voice her outrage.

“This verdict is a manifest injustice - plain and simple,” Ms Habba, who represented Mr Trump during the trial, wrote.

“It is the culmination of a multi-year, politically fueled witch hunt that was designed to ‘take down Donald Trump,’ before Letitia James ever stepped foot into the Attorney General’s office,” she added.

Ms Habba said Mr Trump will be appealing the decision.

“We trust that the Appellate Divison will overturn this egregious verdict and end this relentless persecution against my clients,” Ms Habba wrote.

Mr Trump’s lawyer went on to claim that if the decision remains in place, it will hurt business in New York.

After a months-long trial in New York Superior Court, the judge ordered Mr Trump, his adult sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr and former executives of the Trump Organization to each pay millions of dollars after being found liable for misrepresenting financial statements at the company in order to obtain favourable treatment from banks and lenders.

Along with the more than $350m that Mr Trump and his co-defendants must pay, he is barred from holding leadership roles in any New York company, including the Trump Organization. Additionally, Justice Engoron ordered the implementation of an independent monitor to oversee the Trump Organization.

In his ruling, Justice Engoron said that Mr Trump and his co-defendants’ “complete lack of contrition and remorse” was bordering on “pathological”.

A decision imposing severe punishments against Mr Trump had been expected. Justice Engoron had already determined the former president defrauded lenders before the trial even got under way.

Earlier this week, Ms Habba told Newsmax that she did not have “high hopes” for the outcome of the civil fraud trial.

“I’ll be loud and booming right after the decision,” Ms Habba said. “I don’t have high hopes.”