Donald Trump puts up $175m bond and avoids having his assets seized | US News

Donald Trump has posted a $175m (£140m) bond in New York – preventing the state from seizing his assets.

The former US president had been given 10 days to make the payment after his lawyers successfully asked for the bond to be reduced from $454m (£362m).

However, Mr Trump will be liable to pay the full amount – plus daily interest – if he loses an appeal in the civil fraud case.

New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, had been prepared to start seizing the 77-year-old’s real estate unless the bond was posted.

In February, he was found guilty of scheming for years to deceive banks and insurers by inflating his wealth on financial statements used to secure loans and make deals.

Mr Trump, who has secured the Republican nomination for this year’s general election, has frequently claimed to be worth billions of dollars and last year said he had $400m in cash, in addition to properties and other investments.

He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, and argued the statements actually underestimated his fortune.

Trump ordered to stop attacking judge’s family

There have also been developments in a separate trial that Mr Trump is facing, which relates to a hush money payment made to the porn star Stormy Daniels.

On Monday, he was ordered to stop verbal attacks on the family members of the judge in this upcoming case.

It comes after Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter was described as a “rabid Trump hater” in a social media post.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo had warned: “Family members of trial participants must be strictly off-limits.

“Defendant’s insistence to the contrary bespeaks a dangerous sense of entitlement to instigate fear and even physical harm to the loved ones of those he sees in the courtroom.”

It is an extension to an order already in place that bars Mr Trump from publicly commenting about witnesses and court staff.

If Mr Trump violates the order he could face jail time, but it does not stop him from criticising Mr Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office brought the charges last year.

The trial is due to start on 15 April in Manhattan. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and denies an alleged sexual encounter with Ms Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

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Big losses at Truth Social

In a further blow for Mr Trump, his social media company has disclosed it lost nearly $58.2m (£46.2m) last year, a week after its stock market debut.

Trump Media and Technology Group – whose flagship product is social media platform Truth Social – mark a stark decline compared with the profit of $50.5m that the former president’s company reported for 2022, according to a company filing with securities regulators.

Truth Social had been seen as a potential financial lifeline for Mr Trump during his ongoing legal and financial challenges.

However, early investors into the media company are taking a hit after stocks closed at $48.66 on Monday, which was below their initial offering price of $49.95 (£39).