Donald Trump said on Friday he has nearly $500 million in cash after his legal team said he did not have enough money to pay a $464 million fine.
Earlier, his lawyers said he did not have enough money to pay the $464 million fine imposed on him and his co-defendants in a civil fraud case by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
However, Trump wrote in a post in Truth Social on Friday: “Through hard work, talent, and luck, I currently have almost five hundred million dollars in cash, a substantial amount of which I intended to use in my campaign for president.”
The lawyers also said that Trump is having trouble securing bail while the appeal is pending and he has applied to 30 insurance companies for bail but has been denied each time.
He further added regarding the case itself: “The often overturned political hack judge on the rigged and corrupt A.G. case, where I have done nothing wrong, knew this, wanted to take it away from me, and that’s where and why he came up with the shocking number which, coupled with his crazy interest demand, is approximately $454,000,000,000.”
His comments came after New York’s attorney general took the first step to seize Trump’s property in the state following a landmark $454 million judgement.
Now Trump must pay $454 million in fines and interest under a judgement Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron handed down in February.
Trump faces two decisions: either he will have to pay cash from his coffers or risk having his assets seized and sold by state authorities. He has three days before Monday’s deadline to secure bail or find the money.
