Appeals court tosses Trumps $500m civil fraud penalty

An appeals court has thrown out a $500m (£372m) penalty that President Donald Trump was ordered to pay in a New York civil fraud trial last year.

Judge Arthur Engoron had ordered Trump to pay the fee for massively inflating the value of the Trump Organizations properties in order to secure favourable loans.

A panel of five judges in New York Supreme Courts Appellate Division stated that, while Trump was indeed liable for the fraud, the fine of nearly half a billion dollars was excessive, which meant it violated protections in the US Constitution against severe punishment.

Judge Engoron had ordered Trump to pay a fine of $355m, but with interest, the sum grew to more than $500m.

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