Trump real estate fraud suit

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Trump secured the bond through Knight Specialty Insurance Company, which is owned by the privately-held Hankey Group, whose chairman told ABC News that he considers himself a Donald Trump supporter.

"This is what we do at Knight Insurance, and we're happy to be able to accommodate the ex-president in this situation," Don Hankey told ABC News. "I'd say it's more of a business decision, but I happen to be a supporter also."

Hankey said his company was initially involved in talks to underwrite the original $464 million bond in the case -- then when a New York appellate court last week reduced the amount to $175 million, Hankey said his company renewed their effort to underwrite the bond.

"It was a relatively low number, and Donald Trump put up all the collateral in cash," Hankey said.

Hankey could not recall if Trump also used bonds as collateral for the finalized bond, noting that his company reviewed some of the former president's bonds, which he said were as "grade-A bonds, investment grade quality securities."

"We're confident that we have very good collateral," Hankey said.

Hankey told ABC News that he has contributed to the former president's campaign but could not recall the amount he donated.

An official with the New York attorney general's office declined to comment to ABC News.

^dirtbags helping dirtbags.. the guy has $7.4B from subprime auto lending. Naturally his ethics are going to align with mr. trump's -> gangster capitalism.

Dirtbags - - probably, but dirtbags doubtlessly with an agenda. If Trump gets reelected, he will owe them and will be malleable to their will in the White House.

The $175 million bond posted by an insurance company for former President Donald Trump in a civil fraud case can stand after an agreement Monday that included assurances from his lawyers to comply with conditions from the attorney general's office.

New York Attorney General Letitia James' office argued it is concerned about the financial wherewithal of Knight Specialty Insurance company, which posted the bond for Trump on April 1.

According to Monday's agreement, the $175 million will stay as cash in a money market account, Knight Specialty will have exclusive control, but can only use the cash to pay for the bond if needed. The attorney general's office and the court will get monthly account statements.

The agreement will be finalized by Thursday, April 25, and some of the details require Schwab, the managers of the money market account, to agree to the terms.

The agreement between Trump and Knight Specialty Insurance Company cannot be amended without court approval, and Knight will submit to the jurisdiction of the court. The company waived its right of removal and its lawyers agreed to designate an agent to accept service of process in New York.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has rejected Donald Trump's request to walk away from her office's $486 million civil fraud judgment against the president-elect.

"This Office will not stipulate to vacate the final judgment" against Trump and his company "or otherwise seek to dismiss the action," a lawyer for James' office said in a letter to Trump attorney John Sauer.

Sauer had asked James' office to voluntarily dismiss the case last month, saying it could interfere with Trump's duties as president and that she should drop it in order to promote "unity."

In a letter to Sauer made public Tuesday, the deputy state solicitor general, Judith Vale, declined the invitation, noting that both sides have already fully filed their arguments in Trump's appeal of the judgment to the Appellate Division, First Department, a mid-level appeals court.

There is "no merit to your claim that the pendency of defendants’ own appeal will impede Mr. Trump’s official duties as President," Vale wrote.

The trial is over, final judgment has been rendered, and defendants’ appeal to the First Department has been fully submitted and argued. Mr. Trump’s official duties will not be impeded while awaiting the First Department’s decision," she added.

Vale also pushed back on Sauer's claim that the attorney general should follow the lead of federal and state prosecutors in Trump's criminal cases. Special counsel Jack Smith dropped his two cases against Trump following his Nov. 5 win, while the Manhattan district attorney's office has agreed to indefinitely postpone, but not drop, Trump's sentencing on state felony charges.

"This civil enforcement action is not a criminal action, and (the state) Supreme Court did not impose any criminal sanction on Mr. Trump or any other defendant. Accordingly, the various actions taken by the Special Counsel’s office or the District Attorney’s Office of New York County in the respective criminal cases brought by those offices against Mr. Trump are irrelevant here," the letter said.