South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has spearheaded a 15-state coalition in filing a brief in support of former President Donald Trump's appeal against a court order mandating him to pay approximately $355 million for allegedly making false real estate statements.
Earlier this year, a New York state court judge found Trump liable for "submitting false financial statements to banks and insurance companies to obtain better rates on loans and insurance coverage." The judge subsequently awarded a "disgorgement of ill-gotten gains" amounting to roughly $355 million, excluding pre-judgment interest. Trump has since appealed the decision to New York’s intermediate appellate court.
"Our brief isn’t about Donald Trump; it’s about upholding the rule of law and the Constitution," stated Attorney General Wilson. "We argue that this award is an excessive fine under the Eighth Amendment and also violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment."
The brief emphasizes that citizens from South Carolina and other coalition states conduct business in New York, particularly in New York City. It asserts, "And they need confidence that their customary business dealings in New York will not subject them to devastating fines. The Supreme Court’s disgorgement order will have a chilling effect on business conducted by citizens of amici states."
Alongside South Carolina, the states participating in the amicus brief include Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia.
You can read the brief here.