Trump challenges $454m penalty in civil fraud case

Donald Trump is appealing against a New York judge's ruling that he must pay $454m (£360m) in penalties and interest in a civil fraud case.

This month's judgement was $355m, but the amount has soared with interest, which will keep accruing by at least $112,000 per day.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has said if Mr Trump does not pay, she will seek to seize some of his assets.

He was found to have inflated property values to obtain better loan terms.

Judge Arthur Engoron also banned the former US president from doing business in the state for three years.

Monday's appeal from the Republican presidential frontrunner means yet another legal case of his will drag further into election season as he prepares for a likely rematch against Democratic President Joe Biden in November.

Mr Trump had said all along he planned on appealing against the ruling, calling it a political witch hunt.

His lawyer, Alina Habba, said on Monday they hope the appeal court "will overturn this egregious fine and take the necessary steps to restore the public faith in New York's legal system".

In their court filing, the attorneys said they were asking the appeals court to decide whether Judge Engoron's court "committed errors of law and/or fact" and whether it "abused its discretion" or "acted in excess of its jurisdiction".

Mr Trump's legal team has previously challenged rulings by the judge at least 10 times, including a gag order.

The former president's appeal is expected to focus on alleged bias from Judge Engoron, a Democrat.

Mr Trump's lawyers also argue that he was wrongly sued under a consumer-protection statute typically used to rein in businesses that rip off customers.

The 43-day civil trial that began in October focused mostly on determining penalties against Mr Trump since Judge Engoron had already ruled Mr Trump liable for business fraud.