NEW YORK, N.Y. — Attorneys for former president Donald Trump agreed Monday to several new conditions on his $175 million bond deal — probably ending a challenge from state officials that had imperiled Trump’s ability to appeal a massive civil fraud judgment.
In particular, prosecutors objected Friday to Trump maintaining control over a bank account with the $175 million in cash that backed the bond, arguing that the provider, Knight Specialty Insurance Co., should instead have sole control of those funds to ensure that Trump couldn’t swap out the cash for other, more volatile collateral.
In a Lower Manhattan courtroom Monday, Trump’s attorneys assured the court that the bond would be backed by the cash reserves throughout the appeals process. “These are all ultra-secure investments,” attorney Christopher Kise said.
In the end, Trump’s attorneys agreed to five concessions demanded by the state, including making Knight the sole holder of the $175 million in cash rather than a trust operated by Trump.
The two sides have until Thursday to finalize the arrangement.
Knight, whose owner is billionaire Trump supporter Don Hankey, stepped in to offer Trump a bond in the case after the former president’s attorneys told the court that numerous other firms declined to do so. The court initially demanded a bond for the full amount of more than $450 million, but that was reduced after Trump’s attorneys argued in court it was impossible to secure.
