Trump’s legal debts top a half-billion dollars. Will he have to pay?

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s legal debts might now exceed a half-billion dollars. A New York judge ordered Trump and his companies Friday to pay $355 million in fines, plus interest, after ruling that he had manipulated his net worth in financial statements. The stiff penalty comes on top of other judgments, including $88 million owed to the writer E. Jean Carroll for damaging her reputation after she accused him of sexual assault. Add interest payments on top of that and the judgments could deal a staggering blow to the personal fortune that remains core to Trump’s political appeal. He has adamantly denied wrongdoing and pledged to appeal, a process that could take months or even years.