@HisArpy and @Rightguide and @icanhelp1
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It's interesting that in this and other threads, we have focused our comments on some misconceptions or statements based on assumptions. Those misconceptions being, you ask?
The short version of these two from Engoron's decision document can be corrected by reading closely. That the bank did not do a separate evaluation and secondly, the applicable laws to the case do not have to show there is a 'victim.'
- The foreign bank Trump used did its separate property value assessment.
- Fraud in the case had to have a 'victim.'
Let's look at the first bullet - the banks did a separate property evaluation - it is a wrongful assumption. The Honorable Judge Engoron's finding, NYSCEF DOC. NO. 1688, points out how the bank determined the validity of Trump's request for a loan via erroneous misstatements by Trump and a falsified SFC required for the loan.
The first layer in this cake of info: Trump and his sons had Donald Bender, an accountant who worked for Mazars USA LLP, their financial company, prepare documents about their worth based upon data Trump provided. Bender prepared the SFC relying on Trump's data to be accurate. Trump signed documents that it was. Bender signed the SFC that the numbers were accurate, a prerequisite for the loan application. Later, the company learned from the AG that they were not accurate and disassociated itself from Trump - fired Trump as a client.
The second layer in this cake is at the Deutsche Bank’s level as found in Engoron's document and states:
“In deciding to approve the credit facility, Haigh relied on Donald Trump’s 2011 SFC and assumed that the representations of value of the assets and liabilities were “broadly accurate.” TT 1009-1010; PX 330. The Deutsche Bank Credit Report’s “Financial Analysis” is based on numbers provided by the “family office” (here, the Trump Organization) and contains the same numbers represented in the SFC. PX 293; TT 1010-1013."
“Before approving the credit facility, the Private Wealth Management Division consulted Deutsche Bank’s Valuation Services Group about market conditions to arrive at a conservative estimate of the value of the commercial real estate should a need arise to liquidate during “bad market conditions.” TT 1013-1016. In so doing, the Valuation Services Group applied a 50% “haircut” to the valuations presented by the client, which Haigh affirmed was the “standardized number for commercial real assets.”6 TT 1016, 1041.
“Haigh, [banker's lending officer] affirmed that the Private Wealth Management Division would not have done business with Donald Trump without a personal guarantee and that the personal guarantee was the reason for favorable pricing on the loan and the large size of the loan itself. TT 1017, 1020-1021, 1032.”
This, in short, shows the Deutsche Bank relied on the SFC document, not it's own eval, to be accurately files and upon Trump's personal guarrantee that he had sufficient resources to cure any defaults. "A rich man's handshake." One that Trump had his fingers crossed to ward off the lies in the SFC doc.
Now, let's look at the second bullet - Fraud. In this case, it had to have a 'victim.' It doesn't according to the statues applicable to this case.
“In varying contexts, courts have held that a state has a quasi-sovereign interest in protecting the integrity of the marketplace.” People v Grasso, 11 NY3d 64, 69 at n 4 (2008); People v Coventry First LLC, 52 AD3d 345, 346 (1st Dept 2008) (“the claim pursuant to Executive Law §63(12) constituted proper exercises of the State’s regulation of businesses within its borders in the interest of securing an honest marketplace”); People v Amazon.com, Inc., 550 F Supp 3d 122, 130-131 (SDNY 2021) (“[T]he State’s statutory interest under § 63(12) encompasses the prevention of either ‘fraudulent or illegal’ business activities. Misconduct that is illegal for reasons other than fraud still implicates the government’s interests in guaranteeing a marketplace that adheres to standards of fairness …”).
“Timely and total repayment of loans does not extinguish the harm that false statements inflict on the marketplace. Indeed, the common excuse that “everybody does it” is all the more reason to strive for honesty and transparency and to be vigilant in enforcing the rules. Here, despite the false financial statements, it is undisputed that defendants have made all required payments on time; the next group of lenders to receive bogus statements might not be so lucky. New York means business in combating business fraud.”
In short, the second bullet says the state of New York has an interest in assuring businesses adhere to standards of fairness even if, in this case, all the money was paid. [Note elsewhere in the threads, Trump defaulted and renegotiated terms on this and other loans reducing his debt by further legal means.]
I’ll try to condense / simplify that ^:
Without the GROSSLY fraudulent overvaluations, the bank based its loan on, it would STILL have given. the 50% "haircut" to the orange fraudster’s valuations.
So, if the actual values of the properties had been used to based the 50% "haircut" on, would the loan have even been approved??? At that favorable interest rate???
For example:
The orange fraudsters claimed he was worth $ 4.3 Billion, and the bank gave that number an approximately 50% "haircut", down to $2.3 Billion.
BUT…if the orange fraudster hadn’t GROSSLY exaggerated the value of those properties, and submitted a number that was more realistic, say, $1.5 Billion, the bank would STILL have given the 50% "haircut", and estimated the orange fraudster’s wealth at about $750 Million.
Would that ^ number have secured the loan, and at the most favorable interest rate???
Doubtful, imho, but Deutsche Bank was also embroiled in massive corruption scandals at the time, so…
The point about there being NO requirement for there to be an actual "victim" for a crime to have been committed is well established. Although, as I and others have pointed out, there WERE victims, if one considers those who were denied the money, and the loans at favorable rates, that the orange fraudster took off the table.
JFC
SAD!!!
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