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Donald Trump cannot find the $557m (£438m) bond he needs to pause enforcement of a civil fraud trial judgement against him because it is too much money, his lawyers have said.

The former president was fined $454m (£356m) after being found guilty of scheming for years to deceive banks and insurers by inflating his wealth on financial statements used to secure loans and make deals.

If he is unable to find the bond amount, his assets could be seized instead, starting as soon as next week.

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Biden takes aim at Trump

Last month, in a New York state appeals court, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled he must post a bond covering the full amount to hold up enforcement of the judgment, set to start on 25 March.

But Mr Trump’s lawyers said obtaining a bond for such a large sum “is not possible under the circumstances presented” as most bonding companies simply will not offer the huge amount required.

With interest, Mr Trump owes almost $457m (£359m), but, in all, he and his co-defendants including his company and top executives, such as his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr, owe $467m (£367m).

Mr Trump, who has secured the Republican nomination for this year’s general election, has frequently claimed to be worth billions of dollars and last year said he had $400m in cash, in addition to properties and other investments.

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The real estate tycoon, who is fighting four criminal prosecutions as he prepares to take on President Joe Biden for the White House in November, asked if the court would accept a bond of $100m (£78m) to stay the judgement, but his proposal was rejected.

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‘I’m a Republican but I will vote for Biden’

A stay is a legal mechanism pausing collection during an appeal.

Mr Trump’s team spent “countless hours negotiating with one of the largest insurance companies in the world”, they wrote, but to no avail.

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Their filing quoted Gary Giulietti, a real estate broker, who wrote that few firms would consider the proposal.

He wrote: “A bond of this size is rarely, if ever, seen”.

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Is Biden too old to be president?

New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, has said that she will seek to seize some of Mr Trump’s assets if he is unable to pay the judgment.

Mr Trump would receive an automatic stay if he were to put up money, assets or an appeal bond covering what he owes. In January, a jury ordered Mr Trump to pay $83m (£65m) to writer E Jean Carroll for defaming her.

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Firefighters rescue 28 people stuck upside down on Oregon ride

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Firefighters rescue 28 people stuck upside down on Oregon ride

Firefighters rescued 28 people who were stuck dangling 100ft upside down on a ride at an amusement park in Oregon.

One person with a pre-existing medical condition was taken to hospital as a precaution after the AtmosFEAR ride stopped, Oaks Amusement Park, in Portland, said in a statement posted on social media.

However, they said no one was injured in the incident.

Chris Ryan said he and his wife, who were at the park for his birthday were just about to go on the ride – which operates like a pendulum, with the capacity to swing riders completely upside down – when they saw it was stuck.

He heard people saying: “Oh my God, they are upside down.” He said they decided to walk away because of “how scary the situation was”.

Pic:Tieanna Joseph Cade/AP
Image:
Pic: Tieanna Joseph Cade/AP

They eventually got on a Ferris wheel and heard a loudspeaker announcement that the park was closed and that people should evacuate.

Portland Fire and Rescue said on X that firefighters worked with engineers at Oaks Park, which first opened in 1905, to manually lower the ride, but that crews had been preparing to conduct a high-angle ropes rescue if necessary.

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When the ride stopped, park staff immediately called the emergency services, who arrived around 25 minutes later.

Maintenance workers were then able to return the ride to its unloading position minutes later, the park said in a statement.

Piv:Oregon Amusement Ride-Rescue/AP
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Pic: Oregon Amusement Ride-Rescue/AP

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The ride has been in operation since 2021 and has not had any prior incidents, the park said. It will remain closed until further notice.

The park said it would work with the ride’s manufacturer and state inspectors to determine the cause of the stoppage.

“We wish to express our deepest appreciation to the first responders and our staff for taking prompt action, leading to a positive outcome today, and to the rest of the park guests who swiftly followed directions to vacate the park to make way for the emergency responders to attend to the situation,” it said.

Oaks Park’s website says it offers a “uniquely Portland blend of modern thrills and turn-of-the-century charm on a midway that has delighted generations of Northwesterners”.

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Tesla shareholders approve Elon Musk’s huge pay package

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Tesla shareholders approve Elon Musk's huge pay package

Tesla shareholders have approved Elon Musk’s multi-billion-dollar pay package.

The package is now worth $44bn (£34bn). The package was once as much as $56bn (£44bn) but has declined in value in tandem with Tesla’s stock.

The proposal passed despite opposition from some large institutional investors and proxy firms.

Onstage at the annual shareholder meeting in Austin, Texas, the billionaire described himself as “pathologically optimistic”.

“If I wasn’t optimistic this wouldn’t exist, this factory wouldn’t exist,” Musk said to resounding applause.

“But I do deliver in the end. That’s the important thing.”

The approval does not, however, resolve a lawsuit on the pay package in a Delaware court, which some legal experts believe could last months.

More on Delaware

The judge invalidated it in January, describing it as “unfathomable”.

Musk may also face fresh lawsuits on the deal, which would be the largest in American corporate history.

Shareholders had first approved the bumper pay packet in 2018.

“This thing is not over,” said Brian Quinn, a professor at Boston College Law School.

The Delaware judge will scrutinise the vote and require Tesla to prove the process was not coerced or improperly influenced by Musk, Professor Quinn said.

A general view of the Tesla gigafactory in Austin, Texas, U.S., February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Go Nakamura
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A general view of the Tesla gigafactory in Austin, Texas, U.S., February 28, 2023 Pic: Reuters

The judge had criticised Tesla’s board fore being “beholden” to Musk, saying the plan was proposed by a “conflicted board” with “close personal and financial ties” to its top executive.

Shareholders also approved a proposal to move the company’s legal home to Texas from Delaware.

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They also backed other proposals, including the re-election of two board members, Musk’s brother Kimbal Musk and James Murdoch, son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Shareholders did increase the level of investor control by passing proposals in favour of shortening board terms to one year and lowering voting requirements for proposals to a simple majority, despite board opposition to both.

Tesla did not disclose the voting tallies, which are expected to be revealed in coming days.

At least a half-million viewers watched the meeting on the livestream on X, which Musk also owns, and about 40,000 watched on YouTube.

Tesla’s share price has dropped about 55% from its 2021 peak as electric vehicle sales have slowed.

The stock closed up 2.9% on Thursday.

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Harry Dunn: Coroner criticises US government over lack of driver training for Americans at base near where teenager died

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Harry Dunn: Coroner criticises US government over lack of driver training for Americans at base near where teenager died

The coroner in the inquest into the death of Harry Dunn has recommended better driver training for Americans at the RAF base near where the 19-year-old was killed.

Mr Dunn was hit by a Volvo driven by Anne Sacoolas in August 2019, after she drove on the wrong side of the B4031 in Northamptonshire while he was riding a motorbike.

He died in hospital the same day.

The coroner concluded Mr Dunn died as a result of a road traffic collision and issued three prevention of future death notices in a bid to stop similar tragedies occurring.

Analysis: Harry’s family still have questions over crash – but killer has remained in the shadows

Two prevention of death notices were sent to the UK’s Department of Health over the drugs paramedics carry and overworked ambulance services.

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Sky News confronts Anne Sacoolas in 2022

A third notice was issued to the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence around driver training at RAF Croughton.

Sacoolas, a US government employee, had been based at the RAF station – which is also used by US forces – at the time the crash happened.

Northamptonshire coroner Anne Pember criticised the US government for a lack of training provided to Sacoolas before the crash.

Harry Dunn (L) and his brother Niall, with their stepfather Bruce Charles. Pic: PA
Image:
Harry Dunn (L) and his brother Niall, with their stepfather Bruce Charles. Pic: PA

Harry Dunn’s family responds

Neither Sacoolas nor representatives from the US embassy attended the inquest – prompting the Dunn family spokesperson Radd Seiger to say the US government’s position was that “lives of UK citizens like Harry ultimately do not matter”.

He said: “It was not enough for them to kill Harry. It wasn’t enough for them to then kick Harry’s family in their darkest hour and seek to deny and delay the justice that they were entitled to.”

Speaking to Sky News after the inquest, Harry’s mother Charlotte Charles said the family is “relieved”, “proud” and “tired”.

Asked if she thinks she will ever get to see Sacoolas face to face, Ms Charles said the American “hasn’t got it in her”.

“She’s just a coward,” she said. “Sadly, that’s the only word that I can sum up. We’re disgusted. Disappointed doesn’t come anywhere close.”

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‘Running away we can’t forgive’

Ms Charles criticised Sacoolas for “snubbing” not just Harry’s family, but the coroner too.

“It’s just extremely difficult for me to get my head around with her being a mum of three herself,” she added.

“She really could have had the chance to redeem herself a little bit this week and show us that she really did care.”

If she ever got the chance to have a conversation with Sacoolas, she said she would have wanted her to show remorse.

“We understand you made one horrific error in your driving that night,” she said.

“Your driving, we can forgive… running away, we can’t forgive. I couldn’t have done that.”

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Harry Dunn’s family with spokesman Radd Seiger (centre)

Tim Dunn
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Harry Dunn’s dad, Tim, became emotional outside the inquest

Mr Seiger also said Labour, if they get into power, has promised the family a public inquiry into how Sacoolas was able to leave the country with diplomatic immunity after causing Harry’s death.

“We won’t let [the US government] get away with it and we look forward to working with the next government to establish this public inquiry,” he said.

“We were all horrified as a nation to see how the US government treated Harry’s family. This must never happen again.

“The American national anthem ends ‘land of the free, home of the brave’. They haven’t demonstrated an ounce of bravery at all preferring to run, hide and obstruct.”

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Dunn family ‘totally disgusted’

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Anne Sacoolas’s witness statements

Evidence and two witness statements from Sacoolas were read out during the inquest after the US government employee rejected the coroner’s invitation to attend in person.

In one of the statements Sacoolas apologised for the “tragic mistake” she made on the day of the crash and said it was something that would live with her “every single day for the rest of my life”.

Harry Dunn’s family still have questions over fatal crash


Lisa Dowd - Midlands correspondent

Lisa Dowd

Midlands correspondent

@LisaSkyNews

It was October 2019. I had been made aware of a terrible crash which had killed a young motorcyclist called Harry Dunn a few months earlier.

The tip-off was Harry’s family were sure the person responsible worked for the US secret services, and she had left the country.

I was even given a name: Anne Sacoolas.

It was an unusual name. That night I did a search, and to my surprise she appeared on Facebook.

What spy would be on social media, I thought?

Read more

She said that when she turned out of RAF Croughton, taking a left turn, she instinctively moved to the right side of the road as she was “accustomed to driving in the US”.

She also told Northamptonshire Police in a voluntary interview two months after the crash that she was a “safe driver” but “drove like an American and drove on the American side of the road”.

The family spokesman said bases like this are a threat to Britain
Image:
Harry was killed near the RAF Croughton base

The 45-year-old said she had not received any training on driving on UK roads after arriving in the country and after the crash “hysterically flagged down a motorist” and “begged her to get help”.

“There is not a single day that goes by that Harry is not on my mind, and I am deeply sorry for the pain that I have caused,” Sacoolas said in the statement.

Reacting to the statements, Mr Seiger said: “We have heard most of that before.

“Why on earth is Sacoolas not in court to answer the court’s and the family’s questions?”

Sacoolas left Britain 19 days after the crash after the US Department of State asserted diplomatic immunity on her behalf.

In December 2022, after a protracted battle for justice by the family, she appeared before a High Court judge at the Old Bailey via video link from the US, when she pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving.

Sacoolas was advised against attending her sentencing hearing by the state department, which prompted the Dunn family to say they were “horrified” the American government was “actively interfering in our criminal justice system”.

She was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for a year.

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Harry Dunn’s twin’s tribute

The inquest also heard from Mr Dunn’s twin brother Niall who referred to him as “an amazing person” who helped him when he found life hard-going.

In a video played to the inquest, he said: “I couldn’t have asked for a better brother, but beyond that, just a better person to just be forced to know”.

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